Western Nations Demand Immediate End to Gaza War Amid Escalating Humanitarian Crisis
Western Nations, Gaza — After more than 21 months of relentless fighting that has devastated Gaza and displaced millions, a coalition of Western nations including the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Canada, and 21 other countries, along with the European Union, issued a powerful joint statement on Monday demanding an immediate end to the war in Gaza.
The statement marked one of the strongest coordinated appeals from Israel’s closest allies, emphasizing that the suffering endured by Gaza’s over two million residents has “reached new depths.” The group of Western nations urged an urgent, negotiated ceasefire, the unconditional release of hostages held by Palestinian militants, and the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid into the besieged territory.
The appeal coincided with a major military escalation by Israel in the central city of Deir el-Balah, an area previously spared from full-scale operations. On Monday, heavy shelling rocked the city after the Israeli military warned of imminent action in new areas.
Just a day earlier, evacuation orders were issued for central Gaza, including parts of Deir el-Balah, displacing tens of thousands of people once again. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 individuals were in the area at the time of the evacuation directive.
Local resident Abdullah Abu Saleem, 48, described the night’s bombardment as overwhelming. “Huge and powerful explosions shook the area like an earthquake,” he said, attributing the destruction to artillery fire in the southern and southeastern parts of Deir el-Balah.
“We are extremely worried and fearful that the army is planning a ground operation here,” Abu Saleem added, noting that hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are currently sheltering in makeshift camps across the central region.
Western Nations Condemn Gaza Aid Restrictions
In Western Nations joint statement, Western nations also harshly criticized Israel’s aid distribution system in Gaza, calling it “dangerous, destabilizing, and degrading.” Since Israel began easing its more than two-month blockade in late May, the UN has recorded the deaths of at least 875 Palestinians who were trying to obtain food.
“We condemn the drip-feeding of humanitarian assistance and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, who are simply trying to survive,” the statement read.
AFP images from Deir el-Balah showed plumes of black smoke rising into the sky, while civil defense officials confirmed that families were trapped in the Al-Baraka neighborhood due to intensified tank shelling. Mahmud Bassal, spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defense agency, confirmed that emergency calls were pouring in as residents pleaded for rescue from areas under attack.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached a breaking point. According to OCHA, nearly 88 percent of Gaza’s landmass is now under Israeli evacuation orders or designated as military zones. Repeated displacement has left most families without stable shelter, food, or access to medical care.
Hamdi Abu Mughseeb, 50, said he fled north from his tent near Deir el-Balah at dawn following a night of shelling. “There is no safe place anywhere in the Gaza Strip,” he lamented. “I don’t know where we can go anymore.”
Mai Elawawda, a communications officer with the UK-based charity Medical Aid for Palestinians, described the conditions as “extremely critical.” She said that Israeli military vehicles were stationed just 400 meters from their team’s location, putting both staff and civilians at extreme risk.
The latest Israeli offensive has also triggered alarm among the families of hostages still held in Gaza. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum called on Israeli authorities to clarify how the current military actions in Deir el-Balah are being coordinated to avoid endangering the remaining captives.
Western Nations- Of the 251 individuals abducted during Hamas’s October 2023 attack that ignited the conflict, 49 remain in captivity. The Israeli military believes 27 of them are dead.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 59,000 Palestinians, the vast majority of them civilians, have been killed since the conflict began. On Monday alone, at least 15 new deaths were reported across the Gaza Strip. Due to severe media restrictions and limited access, independent verification of these figures remains challenging.
Hamas’s October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people in Israel, most of them civilians, based on official tallies.
As the situation in Gaza deteriorates, the unified voice of Western nations signals growing international impatience with the ongoing war. Their call for an immediate ceasefire and renewed diplomacy reflects mounting concern over not just humanitarian consequences but regional stability as a whole.
Source- EWN
