RAMALLAH, August 29, 2025 (WAFA) – The foreign ministers of Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain strongly condemned the latest Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip and the announcement to establish a permanent presence in Gaza City.
The joint statement reiterated that the intensification of military operations endangers the lives of hostages and will lead to the intolerable killing of innocent Palestinian civilians, including women, children, and the elderly. The ministers denounced the forced displacement of Palestinians, stressing that it constitutes a flagrant violation of international law.
The statement affirmed that the systematic destruction of essential civilian infrastructure, including sites serving as refuges for highly vulnerable displaced civilians, is unacceptable. It urged the Israeli government to immediately reconsider its decision and cease military operations.
The foreign ministers expressed horror at the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification’s (IPC) confirmation of famine in the Gaza Governorate and its projected spread to surrounding areas in the coming weeks. They called on Israel to uphold its humanitarian obligations as required under international law.
Emphasizing the urgency, they called for UN agencies and NGOs to be allowed full access to operate on the ground to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe.
The ministers voiced deep concern over the expansion of colonial settlement construction in the West Bank, stressing its illegality under international law and calling on Israel to reverse this decision.
They further expressed alarm at the actions of violent colonists, which were carried out with impunity.
The statement stressed that ongoing military operations in both Gaza and the West Bank represent a serious obstacle to implementing the two-state solution, which remains the only path toward lasting peace.
The joint statement underscored that the international community will not remain silent in the face of human rights violations and will continue working intensively for peace.
They reiterated their call for the immediate release of all hostages and the swift, unimpeded, large-scale entry of humanitarian aid into and throughout Gaza.
T.R.
