Allies urge Israel to end raids, allow aid

In a rare concerted move, the United Kingdom, France, and Canada issued a stinging rebuke to Israel, threatening sanctions if it continues its military expansion, which has already rendered Gaza inhabitable and starving.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately responded defiantly on X.

"By asking Israel to end a defensive war for our survival before Hamas terrorists on our border are destroyed and by demanding a Palestinian state, the leaders in London, Ottawa, and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, while inviting more such atrocities," he wrote.

"No nation can be expected to accept anything less and Israel certainly won't," he said, adding that Israel would continue to defend itself by just means "until total victory was achieved".

In a joint statement on Monday, the UK, France, and Canada called on the Israeli government to stop its military operations in Gaza and immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter the embattled enclave.

They also demanded that the United Nations be involved "to ensure a return to delivery of aid in line with humanitarian principles".

"We will not stand by while the Netanyahu government pursues these egregious actions. If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response," they said.

"We oppose any attempt to expand settlements in the West Bank. Israel must halt settlements, which are illegal, and undermine the viability of a Palestinian state and the security of both Israelis and Palestinians," the statement noted.

"We will not hesitate to take further action, including targeted sanctions," they said.

They also condemned the "abhorrent language" used by some members of the Israeli government, threatening that, in their despair at the destruction of Gaza, civilians will start to relocate.

"Permanent forced displacement is a breach of international humanitarian law. Israel suffered a heinous attack on Oct 7. We have always supported Israel's right to defend Israelis against terrorism. But this escalation is wholly disproportionate," said the trio, as they also called on Hamas to release the remaining hostages.

Dina Yulianti Sulaeman, director of the Indonesia Center for Middle East Studies in Bandung, West Java Province, told China Daily that the statement clearly shows that the "unconditional support" that had been their standard foreign policy toward Israel was no longer valid.

Opinions shifted

"With all the videos and reports from Gaza, people in these countries have shifted their opinion," said Sulaeman.

"People in many major cities in the West have taken to the streets in support of Palestine, and social justice movements have escalated on university campuses," she added.

"Alternative and investigative journalists keep revealing the dark secrets about Israel that are hidden by mainstream media. In other words, the actions of people are pushing these Western countries' leaders to shift their position toward Israel," she said.

"The world is watching, and even Israel's traditional allies are no longer willing to look the other way," she added.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNWRA, said Gaza is likely facing its "worst "humanitarian crisis since October 2023. It also said 92 percent of homes have already been damaged or destroyed in Gaza.

On Tuesday, the UN humanitarian office's spokesman Jens Laerke announced in Geneva that around 100 trucks carrying aid have been approved to enter into Gaza, calling it a major jump from the nine trucks cleared for entry on Monday, Al Jazeera reported.

He said the incoming trucks contain baby food and nutritious products for children. The next step, he said, is to collect them, and then they will be distributed through the existing system, the "one that has proven itself".

Also on Monday, 23 countries and the European Union issued a joint donor statement urging a full resumption of aid into Gaza immediately and enabling the UN and humanitarian organizations "to work independently and impartially to save lives, reduce suffering, and maintain dignity".

"We remain committed to meeting the acute needs we see in Gaza… It is our firm conviction that an immediate return to a ceasefire and working toward the implementation of a two-state solution are the only way to bring peace and security to Israelis and Palestinians and ensure long-term stability for the whole region," said the statement.