BRUSSELS
Israel's plan to occupy Gaza drew strong criticism from several European countries on Friday, with leaders warning that the move risks violating international law and further deepening the humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged Israel to "reconsider immediately," warning that escalating the offensive "will only bring more bloodshed" and will not help end the conflict or secure the release of hostages.
"The Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong, and we urge it to reconsider immediately," Starmer said, according to a statement from Downing Street.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares also condemned Israel's decision on X, saying it would "only cause further destruction and suffering."
"A lasting peace in the region can only be achieved by implementing the two-state solution, which includes a realistic and viable State of Palestine," he added.
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney blasted the Israeli move to seize control of Gaza City as "completely and utterly unacceptable," urging the international community to act to stop Israel and secure a ceasefire.
"It will create even more human suffering for the Palestinian people and further escalate the conflict. The international community must stop Israel and secure a ceasefire," he wrote on X.
Maria Malmer Stenergard, Sweden's migration minister, voiced serious concern over the Israeli government's decision, stressing that any attempt to annex or alter the territory of Gaza would be a breach of international law.
"I have previously reiterated that any attempt to annex, change or reduce the territory of Gaza would violate international law," she said, according to Swedish broadcaster SVT.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned that the plan contradicts the International Court of Justice's ruling that Israel must end its occupation "as soon as possible."
"On all evidence to date, this further escalation will result in more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes," he said in a statement.
Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp sharply condemned the Israeli government's plan for a full military occupation of Gaza City, warning that it would exacerbate the already dire humanitarian crisis and obstruct efforts to free the hostages.
"The plan of the Netanyahu government to intensify Israeli operations in Gaza is a wrong move... The Dutch government has always been clear: Gaza belongs to the Palestinians," he wrote on X.
Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot summoned Israel's ambassador to Brussels to protest Tel Aviv’s plans to occupy Gaza City and expand settlements in the Palestinian territories.
"All these cumulative acts, likely to potentially wipe Palestine off the map, are unacceptable and contrary to international law, United Nations resolutions, and the decisions of the International Court of Justice," he said in a statement.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Israel to reconsider its decision to occupy Gaza City, calling for an immediate ceasefire and unhindered access for humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen also urged Israel to "immediately reverse" its decision to occupy Gaza, cautioning that the action would only deepen the suffering of civilians in the blockaded territory.
Rasmussen described the Israeli government's choice to "intensify the military operation in Gaza" as wrong, according to a statement from the Danish Foreign Ministry.
European Council President Antonio Costa urged the Israeli government to reconsider the decision, stressing that it would undermine fundamental principles of international law and universal values.
"Such a decision must have consequences for EU-Israel relations, to be assessed by the Council," he wrote on X, warning that Israel's decision will "further worsen" the "dramatic" situation in Gaza.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani voiced his country’s "opposition" to any plan for the occupation of Gaza and expansion of military operations "with the risk of involving thousands more innocent Palestinian citizens."
"The war in Gaza must end. It is necessary to proceed with the utmost commitment to a diplomatic negotiation that will serve to build true peace in Gaza and Palestine, ensuring Israel's security and without any role for Hamas," Tajani wrote on X.
Slovenia's Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon "strongly" condemned Israel's announcement, stressing that the attempts would further aggravate the "already untenable humanitarian conditions."
"The solution to this war cannot involve continued violence. What we need is a continued flow of humanitarian aid, an immediate ceasefire and the release of all Israeli hostages. We continue to support the Palestinian Authority as the only real alternative and a pillar of the future two-state solution," European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica wrote on X.
The Portuguese Foreign Ministry voiced its "deep concern" for the decision.
"It undermines the efforts towards a ceasefire and aggravates the humanitarian tragedy. It must be suspended, lead to a ceasefire, release of hostages and the urgent entry of aid," it noted on X.
Israel’s ground operations in Gaza have been ongoing since October 2023, with interruptions during two ceasefires.
On Thursday, the Israeli Security Cabinet approved five key principles for concluding the war: dismantling the Palestinian group Hamas, securing the return of all hostages -- both alive and deceased -- demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, ensuring Israeli security “control” over the area, and establishing a civilian government not led by Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.
This new operation by Israel, expected to last at least six months, comes despite Tel Aviv facing mounting outrage over its destructive war on Gaza, where more than 61,000 people have been killed since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing widespread famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
