UK, France and 23 other countries say the war in Gaza ‘must end now’
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
UK, France and 23 other countries say the war in Gaza ‘must end now’
Foreign ministers of countries including Australia, Canada and Japan said “the suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths” The statement described as “horrifying” the deaths of over 800 Palestinians who were seeking aid. Most of the food supplies Israel has allowed into Gaza go to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor backed by Israel. Israel and Hamas have been engaged in ceasefire talks, but there appears to be no breakthrough and it’s not clear whether any truce would bring the war to a lasting halt. The U.S. and Germany were notably absent from the list of signatories, which included the foreign ministers of about 20 European countries and the EU commissioner for equality, preparedness and crisis management.
The foreign ministers of countries including Australia, Canada and Japan said “the suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths.” They condemned “the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.”
The statement described as “horrifying” the deaths of over 800 Palestinians who were seeking aid, according to the figures released by Gaza’s Health Ministry and the U.N. human rights office.
“The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity,” the statement said.
“The Israeli government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law,” it added.
Gaza’s population of more than 2 million Palestinians is in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, now relying largely on the limited aid allowed into the territory. Many people have been displaced multiple times.
Most of the food supplies Israel has allowed into Gaza go to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor backed by Israel. Since the group’s operations began in late May, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in shootings by Israeli soldiers while on roads heading to the sites, according to witnesses and health officials.
The statement’s signatories included the foreign ministers of about 20 European countries as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and the EU commissioner for equality, preparedness and crisis management, Hadja Lahbib.
Notably absent from the list were the U.S. and Germany.
The signatories called for an immediate ceasefire, adding they are prepared to take action to support a political pathway to peace in the region.
The statement from so many of Israel’s Western allies deepens its isolation 21 months into its war against Hamas, which has pushed Gaza to the brink of famine, sparked worldwide protests and led to an international arrest warrant against Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel rejects criticism of its wartime conduct, saying its forces have acted lawfully and blaming civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in populated areas. It says it has allowed enough food in to sustain Gaza and accuses Hamas of siphoning much of it off. The United Nations says there is no evidence for widespread diversion of humanitarian aid.
Hamas triggered the war when militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Fifty remain in Gaza, but fewer than half are thought to be alive.
Israel’s military offensive has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Its count doesn’t distinguish between militants and civilians but the ministry says more than half of the dead are women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas government, but the U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.
Israel and Hamas have been engaged in ceasefire talks, but there appears to be no breakthrough and it’s not clear whether any truce would bring the war to a lasting halt. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly asserted that expanding Israel’s military operations in Gaza will pressure Hamas in negotiations.
Pope Leo XIV marks 56th anniversary of moon landing with observatory visit, call to Buzz Aldrin
Pope Leo XIV marked the 56th anniversary of man’s arrival on the moon Sunday with a visit to the Vatican astronomical observatory in Castel Gandolfo. The pontiff was accompanied by astronomers and students participating in the traditional summer school organized by the observatory. Later Sunday, the pope called astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who shared with Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins the historic 1969 moonwalk. There are a few precedents of papal calls to “space.”
After praying the Sunday Angelus at his summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo, Leo headed to the astronomical observatory located in the Pontifical Villas, where he took a close look at the telescopes that have supported celestial exploration from a faith-based perspective for decades.
The pontiff was accompanied by astronomers and students participating in the traditional summer school organized by the observatory.
This was Pope Leo’s first visit to the observatory, founded in 1891 by Leo XIII. The first vision of it, however, can be traced back to the establishment by Pope Gregory XIII of a commission aimed at studying the scientific data and implications of the calendar reform that took place in 1582.
The Vatican Observatory has generated top-notch research from its scientist-clerics, drawing academics to its meteorite collection, which includes bits of Mars and is considered among the world’s best.
Later Sunday, the pope called astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who shared with Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins the historic 1969 moonwalk.
“This evening, 56 years after the Apollo 11 moon landing, I spoke with the astronaut Buzz Aldrin,” Pope Leo wrote on his X account. “Together we shared the memory of a historic feat, a testimony to human ingenuity, and we reflected on the mystery and greatness of Creation.”
Pope Leo then blessed the astronaut, his family and his collaborators.
There are a few precedents of papal calls to “space.”
In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI rang the space station and asked about the future of the planet and the environmental risks it faced.
Before Benedict, Pope Paul VI sent a radio message to astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins after their moonwalk, calling them “conquerors of the Moon.”
U.K., France, Over 20 Other Countries Call for End to War, Condemn Killing of Gazans Seeking Aid
Anat Angrest, mother of soldier Matan Angrest who is held in Gaza, criticized Minister Orit Strock. Angrest: “Everyone should understand that there is an ideology here that is willing to sacrifice the hostages in exchange for territorial conquest”
Anat Angrest, mother of soldier Matan Angrest who is held in Gaza, criticized Minister Orit Strock, who called to expand the fighting in Gaza and did not rule out the possibility that hostages might be harmed.
“I hope her voters hear her words,” Angrest said in an interview with Channel 12. “Everyone should understand that there is an ideology here that is willing to sacrifice the hostages in exchange for territorial conquest.”
Angrest reminded Strock that “all fifty hostages still in Gaza were kidnapped under her watch – under her government’s watch, which is committed to bringing them back even if it means ending the war.”
Responding to reports of IDF activity in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza – an area where the army has so far refrained from acting due to fears of hostage presence – Angrest said: “I think about my son being shelled there after surviving so many days, and instead of already being in a process to bring everyone back, he still hears war overhead.”
Lammy and counterparts accuse Israel of depriving Gazans of ‘human dignity’
David Lammy joins other foreign ministers in condemning the Israeli government for depriving Gazans ‘of human dignity’ They called on the war to “end now’ and urged the Israeligovernment to ‘immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid’ Also described proposals to move 600,000 Palestinians to a so-called ‘humanitarian city’ in Rafah as “completely unacceptable’. The politicians said: “The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. Alongside 25 other partners, the UK message is clear: the war in Gaza must end now.” The foreign ministers reiterated calls for the remaining people being held hostage by Hamas to be released and asked for “all parties to protect civilians and uphold the obligations of international humanitarian law” Sir Keir Starmer restated his view that the situation in Gaza is “intolerable”
The Foreign Secretary and counterparts from 24 other nations including Australia, Canada and France, plus the EU commissioner for equality, urged the Israeli government to “immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid”.
They also described proposals to move 600,000 Palestinians to a so-called “humanitarian city” in Rafah as “completely unacceptable”.
In a statement shared on Monday afternoon, the politicians said: “The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths.
“The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. We condemn the 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. Alongside 25 other partners, the UK message is clear: the war in Gaza must end now. We need an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages and a full resumption of aid.https://t.co/drlpbidmWl — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) July 21, 2025
They said it is “horrifying” that hundreds of Palestinians “have been killed while seeking aid” and that the “Israeli government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable”.
The foreign ministers reiterated calls for the remaining people being held hostage by Hamas to be released and asked for “all parties to protect civilians and uphold the obligations of international humanitarian law”.
Earlier this month Israeli defence minister Israel Katz laid out plans for the “humanitarian city” in Rafah, Gaza’s most southern city which has been heavily damaged through the war.
He reportedly said that the military would initially move 600,000 Palestinians there, with the aim of eventually transferring the whole population to Rafah.
“Proposals to remove the Palestinian population into a ‘humanitarian city’ are completely unacceptable,” the foreign ministers said on Monday.
“Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law.”
The signatories also pledged that they would be “prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire”.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry have said dozens of people were killed trying to access food aid over the weekend.
At the Commons Liaison Committee, Sir Keir Starmer restated his view that the situation in Gaza is “intolerable”.
He reiterated the UK’s commitment to recognising a Palestinian state “at a time most conducive to the prospects of peace” in the region.
The Prime Minister told MPs: “The situation on the ground in Gaza is intolerable on so many levels and we make that absolutely clear in all our exchanges with Israel and with other countries.
“Whether that’s the deaths of those that are queuing for aid, whether it’s the plans to force Palestinians to live in certain areas or be excluded from certain areas, they are all intolerable and absolutely wrong in principle.”
Sir Keir’s government faced criticism from the Labour chairwoman of the Commons International Development Committee over the continued supply of parts for the F-35 fighter jet to Israel.
Sarah Champion said: “Alongside 25 other countries, the UK has issued a statement condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank but failed to provide concrete actions on how they will be held to account.
“The committee’s recent report on upholding international law, and our challenge on F-35 components, both give the Government practical tools to compel Israel to meet its obligations as an occupying nation.”
Israeli forces push into parts of a Gaza city that the war had largely spared
Deir al-Balah is the only Gaza city that has not seen major ground operations or suffered widespread devastation in 21 months of war. The main group representing hostages’ families said it was ‘shocked and alarmed’ by the incursion. Israel says the seizure of territory in Gaza is aimed at pressuring Hamas to release hostages. Less than half of the 50 hostages still in Gaza are believed to be alive. The UN food agency, meanwhile, accused Israeli forces of firing on a crowd of Palestinians seeking humanitarian aid over the weekend. The Health Ministry called it one of the deadliest attacks on aid-seekers in the war that has driven the territory to the brink of famine.
Deir al-Balah is the only Gaza city that has not seen major ground operations or suffered widespread devastation in 21 months of war, leading to speculation that the Hamas militant group holds large numbers of hostages there.
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The main group representing hostages’ families said it was “shocked and alarmed” by the incursion, which was confirmed by an Israeli military official, and demanded answers from Israeli leaders.
Smoke and flames erupt from an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City (Jehad Alshrafi/AP)
Israel says the seizure of territory in Gaza is aimed at pressuring Hamas to release hostages, but it is a major point of contention in ongoing ceasefire talks.
The UN food agency, meanwhile, accused Israeli forces of firing on a crowd of Palestinians seeking humanitarian aid over the weekend.
Gaza’s Health Ministry called it one of the deadliest attacks on aid-seekers in the war that has driven the territory to the brink of famine.
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In the latest sign of international frustration, the United Kingdom, France and 23 other Western-aligned countries issued a statement saying “the war in Gaza must end now”.
They harshly criticised Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid and called for the release of the 50 hostages remaining in Gaza.
Tens of thousands of people have sought refuge in Deir al-Balah during repeated waves of mass displacement in Gaza.
Associated Press reporters heard explosions and saw smoke rising from parts of the city that were ordered evacuated on Sunday.
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The Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said it was the first time ground troops had operated in the area.
A man living in the evacuation zone, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said Israel dropped pamphlets at dawn ordering people to evacuate. Two hours later, tanks rolled into the area.
He said his 62-year-old father, who had spent the night elsewhere, fled from house to house as Israeli forces moved in and saw them flattening structures with bulldozers and tanks. Both men managed to leave the evacuation zone.
The military declined to say if it had ordered the evacuation of aid groups based in the city, saying only that it maintains continuous contact with them and facilitates their relocation when necessary.
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Israel has taken over large areas of Gaza and split the territory with corridors stretching from the border to the sea as it seeks to pressure Hamas to release more hostages.
In response to the Deir al-Balah incursion, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum warned in its statement that “the people of Israel will not forgive anyone who knowingly endangered the hostages — both the living and the deceased. No one will be able to claim they didn’t know what was at stake”.
Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people in the October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war and killed around 1,200 people.
Less than half of the 50 hostages still in Gaza are believed to be alive.