U.K. And 27 Other Nations Condemn Israel Over 'Inhumane Killing' Of Gaza Civilians Seeking Aid

• The United Kingdom (U.K.) and 27 other countries have called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, where they say the suffering of civilians has "reached new depths". A joint statement noted that Israel's aid delivery model is dangerous and condemns what it calls the "drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians" seeking food and water.
• Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said more than 100 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire while waiting for food over the weekend and that 19 others died as a result of malnutrition. Israel's foreign ministry rejected the countries' statement, saying it was “disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas". The ministry accused the armed group of spreading lies and undermining aid distribution, rather than agreeing to a new ceasefire and hostage release deal.
• There have been many international statements condemning Israel's tactics in Gaza during the past 21 months of its war with Hamas. But this declaration is notable for its candour. The signatories are the foreign ministers of the UK and 27 other nations, including Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand and Switzerland.
• The statement begins by declaring that "the war in Gaza must end now". It then warns: "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."
• Announcing an extra £40Mn of humanitarian assistance for Gaza this year, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he was "a steadfast supporter of Israel's security and its right to exist" but the government's actions were "doing untold damage to Israel's standing in the world and undermining Israel's long-term security".
• There have been almost daily reports of Palestinians being killed while waiting for food since May, when Israel partially eased an 11-week total blockade on aid deliveries to Gaza and, along with the US, helped to establish a new aid system run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to bypass the existing one overseen by the UN.
• Israel has said the GHF's system, which uses US private security contractors to hand out food parcels from sites inside Israeli military zones, prevents supplies being stolen by Hamas. But the UN and its partners have refused to co-operate with the system, saying it is unsafe and violates the humanitarian principles of impartiality, neutrality, and independence.

(Source: BBC News)