A joint statement to affirm that the Netanyahu government's plans to proceed with the occupation of the Strip and control Gaza City will only worsen an already disastrous situation. It was signed by the Foreign Ministers of Italy, Australia, Germany, New Zealand and the United Kingdom – who were later joined by Canada, France, Austria and Norway – who “ firmly reject the Israeli Security Cabinet's decision of August 8 to launch a further large-scale military operation in Gaza. This will aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation, endanger the lives of hostages and further risk mass displacement of civilians. The plans announced by the Israeli government risk violating international humanitarian law. Any attempt at annexation or expansion of settlements violates international law .”
"We urge the parties and the international community to make every effort to end this terrible conflict now," reads the statement published this morning on the Farnesina website,"through an immediate and permanent ceasefire that will allow for the delivery of massive, immediate, and unhindered humanitarian assistance, as the worst-case scenario of a famine unfolds in Gaza. Hamas must release all hostages without further delay or preconditions and must ensure they are treated humanely and not subjected to cruelty and humiliation."
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic. We call on the Israeli government to urgently find solutions to amend its recently established system for registering international humanitarian organizations to ensure that these vital humanitarian actors can resume their essential work, in line with humanitarian principles, to reach civilians in need in Gaza. Their exclusion would send a serious signal.
We are united in our commitment to the implementation of a negotiated two-state solution, the only way to ensure that Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace, security, and dignity. A political resolution based on a negotiated two-state solution requires the complete demilitarization of Hamas and its complete exclusion from any form of governance in the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian Authority must play a central role.
This morning's note was preceded last night by a post by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani:"We are against any plan to occupy Gaza and to extend military operations with the risk of further involving thousands of innocent Palestinian citizens. Such an action would put the lives of Israeli hostages at risk and worsen the disastrous humanitarian conditions within the Strip," Rome's foreign minister wrote on X. The government announced today that the first shipment of airlifted humanitarian aid from Italy for Gaza was dropped into the Strip by an Italian Air Force C-130. In the next few days and for a week, further airdrops will follow, for a total load of one hundred tons of food supplies, which will depart from the Amman base in Jordan as part of the “Solidarity Path 2 ” mission, in which the Italian Ministry of Defence is also participating.
Russia has also" condemned and rejected" the occupation of Gaza City, which promises to"worsen an already absolutely dramatic situation" that presents the characteristics of "a humanitarian disaster," the Foreign Ministry stated in a statement. Russian diplomacy therefore calls on the international community to work towards"de-escalation in the conflict zone," emphasizing the risk of "serious negative consequences for the entire Middle East region."
In the last few hours, 20 Arab and Muslim countries – including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey – have also spoken out against the Israeli plan, calling it a “dangerous escalation” and stating that the occupation constitutes “a clear violation of international law and an attempt to consolidate the illegal occupation and impose a fait accompli in violation of international legitimacy.”
Meanwhile, Qatar-mediated negotiations are proceeding quietly. White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Qatar's Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani, in Ibiza in the next few hours to discuss a proposed ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages, Axios reports. The proposal will be presented to Israel.
Meanwhile, deaths continue in the Strip. Al Jazeera reports that at least 20 Palestinians, eight of whom were waiting for humanitarian aid, have been killed since dawn today.
