International leaders urge restraint and humanitarian assistance amid Gaza crisis
A joint statement from the prime ministers of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand on Thursday called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza ahead of a planned Israeli ground offensive into Rafah. The statement warned that such an offensive would be “catastrophic” and urgently appealed for a humanitarian truce allowing civilians to evacuate.
The Rafah area in southern Gaza is the last refuge for Palestinians displaced by weeks of intense fighting between Israel and the militant group Hamas. On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military would press ahead there after allowing time for civilians to leave.
In their statement, the three prime ministers said they were “gravely concerned” by the impending Israeli action, which would further escalate clashes that have already killed hundreds and displaced thousands. A ceasefire is “urgently needed,” they said, to provide humanitarian relief to Gaza’s embattled population.
However, the leaders cautioned that any truce must not be “one-sided,” requiring Hamas to lay down arms and release captive Israeli soldiers. They also cited a January ruling by the International Court of Justice following a genocide case brought by South Africa, which they said obligates Israel to protect civilians and provide basic services in Gaza.
“Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hamas,” the statement read. Still, it stopped short of condemning Israel’s military actions overall, only urging restraint around Rafah in particular.
The calls come amid the worst violence in the region since 2014. Recent weeks have seen hundreds of rockets fired at Israel by Hamas and other Gaza militant groups, as well as waves of Israeli airstrikes hitting residential buildings, media offices, and other sites. The clashes have so far killed at least 230 Palestinians, including 65 children, according to Gaza health officials. A dozen people have died in Israel.
Tensions escalated earlier this month around the Al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, a sacred site for both Jews and Muslims. Violence flared amid Palestinian concerns over expanded Israeli policing during Ramadan and settlers seeking to evict Palestinian families from an East Jerusalem neighborhood.
With ceasefire efforts faltering, the conflict threatens to grow even bloodier in Rafah. The area along Gaza’s border with Egypt has seen little fighting but hosts tens of thousands of Palestinians whose homes elsewhere were destroyed. Mr. Netanyahu has signaled plans to root out Hamas fighters and tunnels thought to crisscross the region.
Regional leaders are scrambling to prevent further civilian tragedy. Egypt has led mediation efforts, while the U.S. recently affirmed its support for Israel’s right to self defense but said it had also held frank talks urging care for ordinary Gazans. Hamas, regarded by the West as a terrorist group, rejects Israel’s right to exist.
Thursday’s joint statement echoed long-held international consensus around ending the conflict, urging assistance and protection for Gaza civilians alongside Israeli security. But with Israeli forces poised to plunge into Rafah, diplomatic calls may struggle to restraining rocket fire and air strikes still terrorizing the vulnerable enclave.
