France, Germany, & UK Call For ‘Immediate Return’ To Gaza Ceasefire Amid Renewed Offensive By Israel

<p>The foreign ministers of France, Germany and Britain called for an “immediate return” to a Gaza ceasefire and also called on Israel to restore humanitarian access as Israel’s military pressed its renewed offensive in the Palestinian territory. The ministers were appalled at the civilian casualties and called on Palestinian Hamas militants to release the Israeli hostages</p>
<p>”We call on Israel to restore humanitarian access, including water and electricity, and ensure access to medical care and temporary medical evacuations in accordance with international humanitarian law”, the foreign ministers of the three countries said in a joint statement.</p>
<p>This follows Israel launching a new assault on the war-torn enclave, breaking the relative calm that had prevailed since the January 19 ceasefire, as per an AFP report.</p>
<p>On Friday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to annex parts of the Gaza Strip if Hamas did not release the remaining Israeli hostages being held there.</p>
<p>According to a report by AFP, they said that Hamas must release the dozens of hostages left in the Palestinian territory and the group shouldn&rsquo;t govern Gaza &ldquo;nor be a threat to Israel anymore&rdquo;.</p>
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<p>The ministers &mdash; Germany’s Annalena Baerbock, France’s Jean-Noel Barrot, and Britain’s David Lammy &mdash; urged “all parties to re-engage in negotiations to ensure the ceasefire is fully implemented and made permanent.”</p>
<p>As per AFP, the allies emphasised that Israel must fully respect international law and ensure the uninterrupted flow of aid into the territory.</p>
<p>The ministers stated that the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians could not be resolved through military action and emphasised that a long-lasting ceasefire was the only viable path to peace.</p>
<p>According to Reuters, they also expressed being “deeply shocked” by the incident involving the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) building in Gaza and called for a thorough investigation into the matter, Reuters reported.</p>