Gaza faces starvation unless Israel allows ‘immediate’ aid, European leaders warn

Earlier this week, the U.N. World Food Programme warned that 470,000 Gazans “are facing catastrophic hunger” because of Israel’s action to shut down aid flows since March 2. It said more than 116,000 metric tons of food aid was being blocked.

Israel did not immediately respond to the leaders’ statement, but has previously argued it needs new paths to funnel food aid to Gazans without the risk it will be seized and sold by Hamas militants.

Israel has reportedly begun constructing new aid delivery centers under its military control. Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, says this U.S.-backed approach will prevent the theft of future aid deliveries, declaring: “Hamas must not benefit from it anymore!”

In Friday’s statement, the seven European leaders — Kristrún Frostadóttir of Iceland, Micheál Martin of Ireland, Luc Frieden of Luxembourg, Robert Abela of Malta, Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway, Robert Golob of Slovenia, and Pedro Sánchez of Spain — said Israel appeared increasingly determined to force Palestinians out of parts of the West Bank as well as Gaza.

They cited “increased settler violence, the expansion of illegal settlements and intensified Israel military operations.”

“Forced displacement or the expulsion of the Palestinian people, by any means, is unacceptable and would constitute a breach of international law,” the leaders said. “We reject any such plans or attempts at demographic change. We must assume the responsibility to stop this devastation.”

Last year, Ireland, Norway and Spain unilaterally decided to recognize Palestinian statehood. Israel responded, in part, by shutting its embassy in Dublin and expelling Norwegian diplomats.