23 Nations Including UK, France, and Canada Issue Joint Statement Urging Gaza Ceasefire – Call on Israel to Uphold International Law
[London, July 21, 2025] — The United Kingdom, France, and 23 other countries across Europe and Asia issued a joint statement on Monday declaring that the war in Gaza “must end now” and urged Israel to comply with international law.
Foreign ministers from countries including Australia, Canada, and Japan said that “the suffering of ordinary civilians in Gaza has reached unimaginable levels,” and condemned both the “extremely slow pace of aid delivery” and the “inhumane killing of children and innocent people seeking basic necessities like food and water.”
The statement read: “The current aid distribution model employed by the Israeli government is dangerous, exacerbates instability, and strips the people of Gaza of their basic human dignity.”
It added: “Denying essential humanitarian aid to civilians is completely unacceptable. Israel must abide by its obligations under international humanitarian law.”
Gaza’s population of over 2 million is now facing a dire humanitarian crisis. Many have been displaced multiple times and are now entirely dependent on limited humanitarian assistance.
The conflict escalated following Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of 251 others — at least 50 of whom remain held in Gaza. It is believed that over half of those hostages may no longer be alive.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations. Although the ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, it asserts that more than half of the dead are women and children. While the ministry operates under Hamas governance, the United Nations and other international organizations regard it as the most reliable source for casualty figures.
Currently, ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel are ongoing in Qatar. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that expanding military operations in Gaza is necessary to pressure Hamas into making concessions at the negotiating table.
