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Arab-Israeli conflicts

Western Countries Urge Immediate End to Gaza War

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

More than two dozen Western countries have called for an end to the war in Gaza, citing the catastrophic humanitarian conditions faced by its two million people. The war, which has been ongoing for over 21 months, has resulted in widespread suffering among civilians, with the latest estimates suggesting that between 50,000 and 80,000 people were displaced in the central Gaza area after an evacuation order was issued. The countries, including Britain, France, Australia, Canada, and the EU, said in a joint statement that the war "must end now" and urged a negotiated ceasefire, the release of hostages held by Palestinian militants, and the free flow of aid.

Key Takeaways:

  • The war in Gaza has been ongoing for over 21 months, resulting in catastrophic humanitarian conditions for its two million people.
  • More than two dozen Western countries, including Britain, France, Australia, Canada, and the EU, have called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza.
  • The countries stated that the suffering of civilians in Gaza has "reached new depths" and urged a negotiated ceasefire, the release of hostages held by Palestinian militants, and the free flow of aid.
  • The Israeli military has expanded its operations to the central Gaza city of Deir el-Balah, resulting in intense shelling and the displacement of thousands of people.
  • The UN's humanitarian agency OCHA estimates that between 50,000 and 80,000 people were displaced in the central Gaza area after an evacuation order was issued.
  • The Israeli military's aid delivery model in Gaza has been denounced as "dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity".
  • The UN has recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food since late May, when Israel began easing a more than two-month aid blockade.
  • Hamdi Abu Mughseeb, 50, stated that since the start of the war, nearly all of Gaza's population has been displaced at least once by repeated Israeli evacuation orders.
  • Mai Elawawda, communications officer in Gaza for the UK-based charity Medical Aid for Palestinians, described the situation as "extremely critical" with shelling "all around our office, and military vehicles are just 400 metres away from our colleagues and their families".
  • The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has demanded that authorities explain why the offensive in the Deir el-Balah area does not put the hostages at serious risk, with 49 hostages still being held in Gaza.

Statistics:

  • The war in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of 59,029 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
  • 1,219 people, most of them civilians, were killed in Hamas's 2023 attack that sparked the war, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
  • The UN has recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food since late May, when Israel began easing a more than two-month aid blockade.
  • 87.8 percent of Gaza's area is now under evacuation orders or within Israeli militarised zones, according to OCHA estimates.
  • Between 50,000 and 80,000 people were displaced in the central Gaza area after an evacuation order was issued, according to the UN's humanitarian agency OCHA.

Sources:

  • AFP
  • OCHA (United Nations' humanitarian agency)
  • Medical Aid for Palestinians
  • The Hostages and Missing Families Forum
  • Israeli Health Ministry
  • Hamas

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