28 states call for immediate end to war in Gaza
Twenty-eight states - including France, Italy, the UK, Spain, Canada, Australia and Japan - have published a joint statement calling for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip and demanding that Israel fulfil its obligations under international humanitarian law. Germany and the US were not among the signatories. Commentators discuss whether the appeal is aimed at the right addressee.
EU's stance deplorable
In La Vanguardia, editor-in-chief Jordi Juan laments the West's passivity:
“It's very exhausting to have to keep reminding people that yes, Hamas committed a dreadful massacre, but this terrorist attack cannot be used as an excuse for the campaign to destroy the Palestinian people. ... It's a disgrace that Gazans are being killed while waiting for food, and that food is being rationed so that hunger can be used as a weapon of war. And above all, that the West is incapable of putting a stop to this war. ... Little can be expected from Donald Trump, but the EU's attitude has also been pretty deplorable.”
The core issue must be addressed
The appeal to Israel would be more convincing if Hamas were also explicitly criticised, according to the Frankfurter Rundschau:
“Then the Israeli government couldn't simply dismiss such an initiative by saying that those responsible for the move didn't understand the threat to Israel. ... Perhaps more than a minority in Israel would then be prepared to recognise the suffering of the Palestinians and, as a next step, urge their own government to end the war and thus put an end to the hellish operations in Gaza. Those who lose sight of the core issue in the conflict run the risk of fuelling the gruelling spiral of arguments. Or have already accepted the hopelessness of the conflict.”
Action needed from the Islamic world too
Star stresses that not just the West bears responsibility for the suffering in Gaza:
“In the Gaza Strip, Israel, which is supported by the US, is cruelly killing dozens of Palestinians every day and systematically using hunger as a weapon against two million people. ... And the Islamic world made up of two billion people is just standing by and doing nothing. ... The current situation is not due to a lack of funds or donations. Thousands of tonnes of food, medicine and other relief supplies are waiting on the other side of the border. ... Not because of any shortages but because of the blockade by Israel and the inaction of the governments of the Islamic world.”
Up to Hamas now
The widespread criticism of Israel is too one-sided, argues De Telegraaf:
“The war could end if Hamas surrendered and released the hostages. Since last week, a proposal for a ceasefire has been on the table which would also lead to a better system for providing aid to Gaza. Israel has made the necessary concessions and accepted the proposal. Now it is up to Hamas. The statement by the 28 countries comes at a sensitive moment in the negotiations, as there has been no reaction from Hamas. But now the terrorists have been quick to welcome it. As long as the pressure is exerted only on Israel, Hamas will be content.”
This appeal could do some good
El País sees the joint appeal as a positive sign:
“This is Benjamin Netanyahu's most significant diplomatic setback so far. ... In their harsh statement the signatory states particularly condemn what they call the 'drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians'. ... So far Netanyahu has not budged an inch from his position of total destruction. On the contrary, the Likud leader has made a show of his impunity before international judicial authorities, believing that nothing will change Israel's privileged relationship with the most developed countries. It remains to be seen whether this latest initiative by a number of them will prolong the sterile chapter of pretty words or finally help to stop the killing of innocent people.”
The tone is clear
Things are now happening, Corriere del Ticino comments with approval:
“True, we are still no further than the sphere of appeals. But at least the tone of the 25 foreign ministers was unequivocal from the very first words: 'The war in Gaza must end now' ... We have mentioned the absence of Germany. It should be added that Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz took the floor yesterday and pointed out that the actions against the civilian population in Gaza violate humanitarian norms, but also underlined how important it is to 'keep the doors open for dialogue'.”
Israel clearly responsible
Corriere della Sera backs the appeal:
“It is not only the disproportionately high number of casualties in Gaza or the inhumane treatment of starving people trying to get food that are making the West reject Netanyahu's war. ... The question of whether people queuing for bread are shot deliberately or accidentally - or whether it's even Israeli soldiers who are doing the firing - is important, but not decisive. Because the country is occupied and controlled by the Israel Defence Forces, and independent access to the media is being prevented. Hence, everything that happens and all the chaos that reigns there is today clearly the political responsibility of Israel.”
What the EU can do
De Morgen puts forward concrete proposals:
“[EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja] Lahbib and top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas could propose sending a European humanitarian mission. ... The EU already has two missions in the Palestinian territories that could serve as a springboard for such a mission. ... Nothing prevents the Commission from proposing to turn [the EU mission] EUBAM into a full-fledged humanitarian intervention force. It could also be backed up by a police force consisting of neutral European and Jordanian officials, for example.”