Key Points
- Israeli security cabinet approves occupation of Gaza
- Australia and UK also call on Israel to reconsider its decision,
- Turkey’s foreign ministry issues a strong condemnation
- China says Gaza belongs to Palestinian people
GENEVA: UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday said that Israel’s plan for a complete takeover of Gaza “must be immediately halted”.
“It runs contrary to the ruling of the International Court of Justice that Israel must bring its occupation to an end as soon as possible, to the realisation of the agreed two-State solution and to the right of Palestinians to self-determination,” he said in a statement.
Turk also said Israel must allow “the full, unfettered flow of humanitarian aid” and Palestinian armed groups must unconditionally release their captives. He added that Israel likewise should free “Palestinians arbitrarily detained”.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry strongly condemned Israel’s decision to take control of Gaza City, stating that each move by the “fundamentalist Netanyahu government” to pursue genocide and expand its occupation severely undermines global peace and security.
Meanwhile, Australia also urged Israel “not to go down this path,” following Prime Minister Netanyahu’s announcement of plans to establish military control over Gaza.
“Australia calls on Israel to not go down this path, which will only worsen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement on Friday.
Wong said permanent forced displacement was a violation of international law and repeated calls for a ceasefire.
“A two-state solution is the only pathway to secure an enduring peace – a Palestinian state and the State of Israel, living side-by-side in peace and security within internationally recognised borders,” she added.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday also said Israel’s decision to take control of Gaza City was wrong and urged the government to reconsider.
“The Israeli Government’s decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong, and we urge it to reconsider immediately,” he said in a statement.
“This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed.”
Israeli security cabinet approves occupation of Gaza
Israel’s security cabinet approved on August 8 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to deploy military forces to occupy Gaza City, the first step toward Netanyahu’s previous statements on occupying all of Gaza.
A statement said the Israeli Defence Forces would prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones.
Gaza belongs to Palestinian people
China also expressed “serious concerns” over Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza City, urging it to “immediately cease its dangerous actions”.
“Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people and is an inseparable part of Palestinian territory,” a foreign ministry spokesperson said in a message.
“The correct way to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to secure the release of hostages is an immediate ceasefire,” they added.
“A complete resolution to the Gaza conflict hinges on a ceasefire; only then can a path to de-escalation be paved and regional security ensured,” the spokesperson said.
Russia slams Israel’s Gaza plans
Russia has also condemned Israel’s plans to reoccupy Gaza, calling it a “very bad step” and a violation of UN decisions on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
“I think that our position is quite clear, as it is similar to the position of everybody in the Security Council,” said Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s deputy ambassador to the UN, speaking to reporters at UN headquarters in New York.
“We think that this is a very bad step in an absolutely wrong direction, and we condemn this kind of action,” he added.
A new war crime
Palestinian group Hamas has slammed the Israeli government’s plan to take control of Gaza City as a “new war crime” on Friday, warning the operation would cost it “dearly”.
“The Zionist cabinet’s approval of plans to occupy Gaza City and evacuate its residents constitutes a new war crime that the occupation army intends to commit against the city,” the group said in a statement.
“We warn the criminal occupation that this criminal adventure will cost it dearly and will not be an easy journey.”
