28 countries called for an end to Israel’s war on Gaza: What did they say?

On Monday, 28 countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan, and galore European nations, issued a associated connection calling connected Israel that the warfare connected Gaza “must extremity now”, marking the latest illustration of intensifying disapproval from Israel’s allies.

The associated statement, signed by the overseas ministers of these countries, condemned “the drip feeding of assistance and the inhumane sidesplitting of civilians, including children, seeking to conscionable their astir basal needs of h2o and food”.

The connection comes arsenic planetary unit mounts connected Israel implicit civilian casualties astatine assistance sites, obstruction of humanitarian aid, and violations of planetary humanitarian instrumentality – arsenic the occupied Palestinian territory simmers with starvation.

Israel’s warfare connected Gaza has killed much than 59,000 radical and wounded 140,000 since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, successful which 1,139 radical were killed and much than 200 were taken captive.

So, what does the associated connection say? Who are these countries? And however person Israel and its closest ally, the United States, reacted?

What did the connection say?

The associated connection said the countries are coming unneurotic “with a simple, urgent message: The warfare successful Gaza indispensable extremity now.”

The connection underlined that the suffering of civilians successful Gaza has reached “new depths” and that the Israeli government’s assistance transportation exemplary is “dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of quality dignity”.

They called connected the Israeli authorities to “comply with its obligations nether planetary humanitarian law” and instantly assistance restrictions connected the travel of aid.

The radical of countries besides noted that the captives “cruelly held” by Hamas proceed to “suffer terribly” and called for their contiguous and unconditional release.

They said successful the connection that a negotiated ceasefire offers “the champion anticipation of bringing [the captives] location and ending the agony of their families”.

Demographic change, settler violence: What other did the countries say?

The countries criticised Israel’s program to found a attraction portion – Israel’s imaginativeness of relocating the full Palestinian colonisation into a fenced, heavy controlled portion built connected the ruins of Rafah – arsenic “completely unacceptable”.

“Permanent forced displacement is simply a usurpation of planetary humanitarian law,” the associated connection said.

The radical of countries besides marked its absorption to “any steps towards territorial oregon demographic alteration successful the Occupied Palestinian Territories” and noted that the E1 colony program announced would disagreement a Palestinian authorities successful two, “marking a flagrant breach of planetary instrumentality and critically [undermining] the two-state solution”.

They besides called retired that the “settlement gathering crossed the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has accelerated portion settler unit against Palestinians has soared. This indispensable stop.”

Which countries signed the associated statement?

The associated connection was signed by the overseas ministers of a full of 28 countries:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK.

These governments, galore of them allies of Israel, issued immoderate of their strongest connection yet, condemning the obstruction of assistance successful the occupied Palestinian territory.

Palestinian houses and buildings lying successful ruins successful Rafah, successful the confederate Gaza Strip, connected January 22, 2025 [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]

Which of those countries recognise Palestine?

Out of these 28 countries from the associated statement, 9 recognise the State of Palestine arsenic a sovereign state.

Cyprus, Malta, and Poland recognised Palestine soon aft the Palestinian Declaration of Independence successful 1988.

Iceland followed successful 2011, and Sweden successful 2014. Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain recognised Palestine successful 2024.

How did Israel respond?

Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote connected X that Israel rejects the associated connection published by the radical of countries, “as it is disconnected from world and sends the incorrect connection to Hamas”.

Israel further claimed that alternatively of agreeing to a ceasefire, “Hamas is engaged moving a run to dispersed lies astir Israel” and deliberately acting to summation friction and harm to civilians who travel to person humanitarian aid.

The connection further said determination is simply a “concrete connection for a ceasefire deal” and Hamas “stubbornly refuses to judge it”.

What does Hamas accidental astir the ceasefire?

The spokesperson of the subject helping of Hamas said Israel was the 1 that rejected a ceasefire statement to merchandise each captives held successful Gaza.

Qassam Brigades spokesperson Abu Obeida said successful a prerecorded video, released connected Friday, that the radical had successful caller months offered a “comprehensive deal” that would merchandise each captives astatine erstwhile – but it was rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right ministers.

“It has go wide to america that the authorities of the transgression Netanyahu has nary existent involvement successful the captives due to the fact that they are soldiers,” helium said, adding that Hamas favours a woody that guarantees an extremity to the war, a withdrawal of Israeli forces, and introduction of humanitarian assistance for besieged Palestinians.

Hamas is inactive holding 50 radical successful Gaza, astir 20 of whom are believed to beryllium alive.

Demonstrators clasp a banner featuring an representation of US President Trump, astatine a protestation to request the merchandise of each captives held successful Gaza, adjacent the US consulate successful Tel Aviv, Israel, July 7, 2025 [Ammar Awad/Reuters]

What is Israel blocking from entering Gaza, claiming that Hamas tin usage it?

Israel continues to artifact the introduction of indispensable humanitarian supplies into Gaza, claiming that Hamas could divert oregon repurpose them for subject use.

Among the items withheld are: Baby formula, food, h2o filters, and medicines.

Medicine and aesculapian supplies look blocks arsenic portion of Israel’s “dual-use” restrictions, wherever items similar painkillers and dialysis instrumentality are held back, ostensibly for imaginable Hamas exploitation successful subject contexts.

Other aesculapian equipment, specified arsenic oxygen cylinders, anaesthetics, and crab medications, has been restricted.

Israeli authorities reason that immoderate items, similar definite chemicals oregon electronics, could person dual-use potential.

Aid groups study that the broad denial of important aesculapian items is pushing Gaza’s wellness strategy towards full collapse, and accidental that these restrictions are corporate punishment and violations of planetary humanitarian law.