The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani , signed a Joint Declaration with the Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and New Zealand to strongly reject the Israeli Security Cabinet's decision on August 8 to launch a further large-scale military operation in the Strip aimed at capturing Gaza City.

Tajani, along with his counterparts, reiterates the need for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, which will also allow for the provision of adequate humanitarian assistance . The statement also reaffirms a shared vision "in favor of the implementation of a negotiated two-state solution, as the only way to ensure that Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace, security, and dignity."

Netanyahu's decision sparked worldwide outrage. The initial condemnation came out forcefully from the United Nations , echoed by High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, and reinforced by António Guterres's call for an urgent ceasefire. The reaction then spread from London to Madrid to Ankara, in a crescendo of concern for the civilians trapped in the conflict.

The Jewish state's plan "is a mistake," thundered British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, emphasizing that the offensive will only cause "further bloodshed." But it was Berlin that made the deepest mark, going further than it had ever gone before with an immediate halt to the export of weapons destined for the Israeli offensive in the Strip .

"Israel has the right to defend itself from Hamas terrorism, which must be disarmed, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to imagine how the government's plans can contribute to achieving these objectives," acknowledged German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, issuing a statement ordering a freeze "until further notice" on military supplies "potentially usable in Gaza ." Netanyahu was "disappointed" by the decision.

A signal immediately picked up in Brussels, where EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa urged Netanyahu to "reconsider" his steps . The operation cannot be left without "consequences" on relations with Europe, the Portuguese warned, raising the stakes while Washington, which had remained silent on the ground incursion, appears to be hardening. A clear break. Belgium summoned the Israeli ambassador to express its "total disapproval" of the operation, adopting a hard line also shared by Spain, through its foreign policy chief Manuel Albares. France joined the chorus of countries condemning Israel's plan "with the utmost firmness," stressing that it risks leading to an "absolute impasse." The occupation of Gaza "would worsen an already catastrophic situation without allowing the release of Hamas hostages, their disarmament and their surrender," said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.

Turkey's positions are no less clear, pressing the international community to "stop" Netanyahu, and China, which, declaring itself "seriously concerned," immediately called for a halt to the incursion.

Netanyahu's plans—firmly reiterated by Defense Minister Israel Katz, who stated that "neither sanctions nor criticism" will stop the Jewish state —will be put under scrutiny by the UN Security Council as early as tomorrow. And while Iran speaks of "ethnic cleansing and genocide," Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas denounced the Israeli plan as "a full-fledged crime, in violation of international law," destined to cause "an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe," reaffirming the Palestinian people's right to self-determination in a sovereign state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

(Unioneonline)

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