A coalition of 25 countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, and several European nations, has jointly called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, warning that the humanitarian situation has reached “unacceptable” levels.
In a joint statement released on Monday, the foreign ministers of the participating countries decried the worsening plight of civilians in Gaza, condemning what they described as Israel’s “drip feeding of aid” and the “inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.”
“The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths,” the ministers declared, describing the deaths of more than 800 Palestinians attempting to access aid—based on figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry and the UN human rights office—as “horrifying.”
The group criticized Israel’s aid distribution model, calling it “dangerous,” destabilizing, and a denial of human dignity. “The denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable,” the statement read.
Notably, the United States and Germany did not sign the statement. However, Germany’s foreign minister separately voiced concern over the worsening humanitarian conditions during a meeting with Israel’s foreign minister.
More than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza are now dependent on limited humanitarian aid amid mass displacement. Most aid deliveries pass through the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Despite this, local witnesses and health officials allege that hundreds of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces while trying to access the assistance since May.
Israel’s military campaign against Hamas, now in its 21st month, has drawn increasing global condemnation, widespread protests, and led to an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Despite mounting pressure from allies such as the UK and France, Israel continues to reject accusations of unlawful actions, asserting that its military operations comply with international law and blaming Hamas for using civilian areas as shields. While Israel claims it facilitates sufficient aid delivery, the United Nations has disputed this, finding no evidence of large-scale aid diversion by Hamas.
The statement from the 25 countries urged an immediate ceasefire and a renewed diplomatic push for a long-term political resolution. “There is no military solution,” said British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. “The next ceasefire must be the last ceasefire.”
The conflict was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched a surprise assault on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. About 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with fewer than half believed to be alive.
Since then, over 59,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. While the ministry—run by Hamas—does not distinguish between civilians and fighters, international agencies consider it the most credible source for casualty figures, with women and children making up more than half of the reported deaths.
