Israel rejected a condemnation of its actions in Gaza by the E3 countries of Germany, France and the United Kingdom, calling it “morally twisted and wrong” in a strongly worded statement by the Foreign Ministry.
The E3 is an informal foreign and security cooperation arrangement between the three countries, which has released several statements about the Gaza War in recent months.
On Tuesday, the E3 released its latest statement marking “50 days of the aid block in Gaza.”
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“Essential supplies are either no longer available or quickly running out. Palestinian civilians — including one million children — face an acute risk of starvation, epidemic disease and death. This must end,” they wrote, urging Israel to “immediately re-start a rapid and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid.”
The statement particularly targeted recent remarks by Defense Minister Israel Katz, who declared, “the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] will remain in the security zones as a buffer between the enemy and the [Israeli] communities in any temporary or permanent reality in Gaza.”
He added that “Stopping humanitarian aid that harms Hamas’s control over the population” would remain a key component of the current war strategy.
The E3 statement called the stoppage of aid “intolerable.” Katz’s comments were characterized as “politicizing humanitarian aid,” while his promise to remain in Gaza after the war was called “unacceptable — they harm prospects for peace.”
This prompted an undiplomatically worded rebuttal by Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein, who said Israel “categorically” rejects the claim of politicization.
“Article 70 of the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions requires aid when ‘the civilian population is not adequately supplied.’ During the 42-day ceasefire, 25,000 aid trucks entered Gaza,” Marmorstein noted.
“According to Article 23 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, a side is not obliged to allow in aid if it is ‘likely to assist the military or economic efforts of the enemy.’ Hamas hijacked the humanitarian aid to rebuild its terror machine,” he added.
Marmorstein also highlighted Israel’s efforts to monitor the situation of water, food and fuel in the Gaza Strip, stressing that “there is no shortage of aid in Gaza.”
The E3 statement also expressed “outrage” at alleged Israeli strikes on “humanitarian personnel, infrastructure, premises and healthcare facilities,” and demanded the IDF “do more to protect the civilian population, infrastructure and humanitarian workers.”
To this, Marmorstein replied that the statement “fails to mention the most important thing: Hamas is the one targeting Israeli civilians while hiding behind Palestinian civilians.”
“Instead, the E3 statement chose to accuse Israel of strikes on humanitarian personnel and healthcare facilities — this is morally twisted and wrong.”
The spokesman stressed that Israel is taking necessary precautions, and when incidents occur, it investigates them thoroughly. “All condemnations should be directed at Hamas, which hides in hospitals and behind civilians,” he said.
In conclusion, the E3 statement called “all parties” to return to a ceasefire, while calling on Hamas “for the immediate release of all the remaining hostages, who are enduring terrible suffering.”
“We must all work towards the implementation of a two-state solution, which is the only way to bring long-lasting peace and security to both Israelis and Palestinians and ensure long-term stability in the region,” according to the statement by Germany, France and the U.K.
“Unbelievably, the E3 statement addresses only in passing the fact that Hamas still holds 59 hostages in inhumane conditions underground — starving and torturing them. This is unacceptable and inhumane,” Marmorstein charged.
“The so-called balance that the E3 statement is trying to create between Israel and Hamas is ethically outrageous. Hamas started this war, and Hamas is responsible for its continuation and for the suffering of both Palestinians and Israelis. The war can end tomorrow if the hostages are released and Hamas lays down its weapons.”
This article was originally published by All Israel News.
ALL ISRAEL NEWS is based in Jerusalem and is a trusted source of news, analysis and information from Israel to our Christian friends around the world.
