Eight European Countries Condemn Israel’s Decision to Occupy Gaza City

Kokcha News Agency: The foreign ministers of Spain, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Luxembourg, and Malta have published a joint letter condemning Israel’s decision to occupy Gaza City and escalate military attacks. The letter, which criticizes the Israeli Security Cabinet’s decision to intensify military operations, warns that this move will worsen the humanitarian crisis in the region and put the lives of Israeli hostages at risk.

The letter emphasizes that the decision will lead to “unacceptably high casualties” and the forced displacement of nearly one million Palestinian civilians. It states, “We categorically reject any demographic or territorial changes in the occupied Palestinian territories. Such actions constitute a clear violation of international law and international humanitarian law.”

The letter also highlights that Israel’s intensified military operations and the occupation of Gaza City pose a “serious obstacle” to the implementation of a two-state solution. It asserts that the Gaza Strip, along with East Jerusalem and the West Bank, must be recognized as an “integral part” of the State of Palestine.

The ministers called for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the rapid, unimpeded, and widespread delivery of humanitarian aid to the region.

In a statement from the Irish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defense Simon Harris urged Israel to reconsider its decision to expand its attacks in Gaza. Harris stated that Israel’s actions have “stunned the international community” and added, “The exhausted people of Gaza continue to face the threat of famine. The time for a ceasefire and the release of hostages has long since come.”

Israel’s Decision to Occupy Gaza City:
On August 8, the Israeli Security Cabinet approved a plan to occupy Gaza City in the northern part of the region. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an interview with Fox News before the cabinet meeting, stated that Israel aims to occupy the entire Gaza Strip. However, reports prior to the meeting indicated that the attacks would be carried out in phases, starting in Gaza City and later extending to refugee camps in the central region.