Foreign ministers from eight European countries, including the Spanish José Manuel Albares, have ratified this Sunday His condemnation without palliative to the new offensive that Israel prepares in the Gaza Stripdirected this time against the most important population of the enclave, the city of Gaza, where they survive between 800,000 and one million Palestinians, most of them previously displaced by the force of other parts of the enclave.
Albares and their counterparts of Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal and Slovenia thus “energetic” the announcement of the Israeli government to occupy the city of Gaza, in principle from next October, prior order of forced evacuation for all its residents, which will have two months to leave the place before the entrance of the army advanced by Israeli media.
Foreign ministers understand that this decision “will only aggravate the humanitarian crisis“In Gaza and” it will make the lives of the remaining hostages in the hands of the Palestinian militias. “This operation will cause an unacceptably high number of deaths and the forced displacement of almost one million Palestinian civilians,” they added in a statement published this Sunday.
The signatories also reject firmly “any demographic or territorial change“In the occupied Palestinian territories in understanding that” it constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law. “
The offensive planned by the Israeli prime minister, Benjamín Netanyahu, and the occupation of the city of Gaza that contemplates “represent a serious obstacle to the implementation of the solution of two states, which is the only way to an integral, fair and lasting peace.”
The ministers also insist that the Gaza Strip must be an integral part of the state of Palestine, together with the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, “and have added that” the recognition of Palestine and Israel is the best guarantee of security for both and will ensure the stability of the entire region. “
Finally, all signatories repeat their previous requests to try to resolve the short -term conflict: “An immediate fire agreement and the permanent cessation of hostilities, the immediate release of all hostages at the hands of Hamas and the rapid entry, without already large scale of humanitarian aid.”
Finally, they also agree that Gaza’s political future does not contemplate the existence of Hamas as a source of authority or security body. “Hamas cannot have any role in the future government or in the security agreements in Gaza, and must be disarmed,” they have concluded.