French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his UK counterpart Keir Starmer urged the Zionist government of Israel to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza

by Guillermo Alvarado

More than 53,000 people died during this time, most of them women and children. In addition to this human cost, the Gaza Strip suffered significant material and cultural destruction. It took a long time for the first voices in the West to be raised against these crimes against humanity.

French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and his UK counterpart Keir Starmer urged the Zionist government of Israel to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and ease the military pressure on the region.

This message was delivered just as Benjamin Netanyahu, the head of the government in Tel Aviv, was preparing to begin the military occupation of the Strip, which would result in the deaths of thousands more Palestinians and the forced displacement of survivors.

The three leaders warned that they would not stand idly by while the Netanyahu government continued with what they termed outrageous actions.

They warned that if Israel does not stop the new offensive or lift the blockade on humanitarian aid, they will take further concrete steps in response.

They also condemned the hateful language recently used by members of the Israeli cabinet, emphasising that the forced displacement of civilians constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law.

At the conference on the two-state solution in the Middle East, scheduled for 18 June in New York, the three leaders assured that they will work with the Palestinian Authority and other governments to reach a consensus on the future of Gaza, based on international agreements.

They said that they are determined to recognise a Palestinian state as a contribution to a solution in the region, and expressed their willingness to work with others to that end.

As expected, Netanyahu responded angrily, accusing France, Canada and the United Kingdom of rewarding the Hamas organisation, as he does whenever he is criticised for his criminal conduct against the Palestinian population.

However, it is clear that a civil movement against the war is beginning to emerge within Israel, which is encouraging because the only thing that can restrain the Zionist leader is the prospect of losing office and being tried in his own country for corruption and other crimes.

These voices are few and somewhat timid, but at least there is a reaction against crimes that would make Hitler and his entire Nazi gang pale with envy.