The UK, France and Canada threaten Israel

[Whatsinanamehey]

"The leaders of Britain, France, and Canada on Monday threatened action against Israel if it does not stop a renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift aid restrictions"

"We have always supported Israel's right to defend Israelis against terrorism. But this escalation is wholly disproportionate," the three Western leaders said in the joint statement, adding that they will not stand by while Netanyahu's government pursues "these egregious actions."

My personal opinion is once again it is too little, too late. However I'm interested to hear opinions on what exactly this threatening action would consist of?

What has caused these governments to issue such a statement now and not before? The blockade of aid has been ongoing for more than two months. Why didn't they say take further action earlier?

Lastly, will this statement have any effect on the Netanyahu extremist government? Or will they brush it off as they usually do? I'm not sure as these are three powerful allies who have so far been quite wishy washy with their condemnation.

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/uk-france-canada-threaten-israel-against-gaza-offensive-2025-05-19/

The Daily Telegraph - not Owen Jones in the Guardian.

"Rarely has Israel looked as isolated internationally as it does today."

https://archive.ph/jVSzD#selection-4357.0-4383.264

But more than 19 months later, amid the widespread destruction unleashed in Gaza and the deaths of an estimated 50,000 people, that patience is evaporating.
On Monday, France and Canada joined Britain in condemning Israel’s latest Gaza offensive, saying that the level of human suffering in the territory was “intolerable”.
The European Union is also considering more robust action, with Sweden’s foreign minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard, calling for sanctions against members of the Israeli cabinet.
For the moment, Israel is shrugging off Britain’s actions. “If, due to anti-Israel obsession and political considerations, the British Government is willing to harm the British economy — that is its own prerogative,” Oren Marmorstein, a spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry, said.
Amid the irritation that will be felt in the Israeli government there is also likely to be concern.
With Europe and the US clearly increasingly at odds over foreign policy, European leaders will feel less obliged to stand shoulder to shoulder with Washington over matters pertaining to Israel. They are therefore more likely to take robust action than in the past.

Somethings definitely going on behind the scenes, even Israeli air force personnel are now saying they don't feel the orders for the recent strikes are justified as they are killing hundreds of Palestinians. If it's reached this far then how bad must it be?

No aid has yet been distributed. It doesn't seem like Israel has given permission for the aid to be collected and distributed still! What a farce! Allow the aid trucks in so they can say we allowed trucks in but delay for hours on end without giving permission for distribution.

Imagine how the UN workers must feel knowing the aid is right there but they can't distribute it to starving children.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/20/israel-still-blocking-aid-for-gaza-despite-promise-to-lift-siege-says-un

I had the exact fear @Whatsinanamehey
I had to stop following on SM as the pictures from months ago from Gaza were horrific.
I don’t want to imagine what it is like now, but if UK government is getting detailed surveillance imaging of what is happening in Gaza, this may explain urgency?
The human body can only survive so long with limited food…

I can’t help feeling that for many of us none of this is a surprise - the very heart breaking thing is it had to be played out. Netanyahu needs to be stopped.

Not a surprise at all. Watching while starving 5-year-olds were conflated with Hamas. It was always going to end up like this.

I think the 'dark phase' referred to by Lammy is the conditions being set up for the freedom zone as espoused by Trump. Why we will see over the coming weeks and months is the culmination of this conflict with Israel controlling the North of the strip and the people being concealed in the South possibly where food distribution areas will be. There will be immense pressure on Egypt to open its border to allow the gradual migration of Palestinians to other regions. The alternative would be a massive refugee camp in southern Gaza which would be unsustainable for any ength of time.

I can't now if I ever did see a two state solution emerging out of this and I think the UK government is hyping up rhetoric as they are fully briefed on the eventual outcome and many MPs will wish to be on record as having said the right thing at the time.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-20/aid-begins-entering-gaza/105312440

re 5 trucks entered Gaza yesterday.

As reported in the Economic Times today:

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that although the aid has entered Gaza, aid workers were not able to bring it to distribution points where it is most needed, after the Israeli military forced them to reload the supplies onto separate trucks and workers ran out of time.

COGAT, the Israeli defense body that oversees humanitarian aid, said five trucks entered Monday and 93 trucks entered Tuesday. But Dujarric said the U.N. confirmed only a few dozen trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday.

The aid included flour for bakeries, food for soup kitchens, baby food and medical supplies. The U.N. humanitarian agency said it is prioritizing baby formula in the first shipments.

But none of that aid actually reached Palestinians, according to the U.N. Dujarric described the new security process for getting aid cleared to warehouses as "long, complex, complicated and dangerous." He said Israeli military requirements for aid workers to unload and reload the trucks are hindering efforts to distribute the aid. COGAT did not immediately comment on the new procedures.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/israeli-strikes-kill-at-least-85-in-gaza-as-israel-allows-more-aid-into-palestinian-territory/articleshow/121304162.cms?from=mdr

Are the IDF waiting to ensure those babies actually die? They are disgusting.

COGAT (Israeli defence body overseeing humanitarian aid) did not comment on the new procedures. But presumably the reasons are connected to Hamas and making sure the aid gets to the right people.

COGAT tracks and records all aid transferred into Gaza. Every aid shipment is documented by its origin and the route into Gaza (I.e. aerial route, maritime, via Jordanian route, Kerem Shalom, etc). This provides a comprehensive overview of all aid deliveries into Gaza. Trucks carrying humanitarian goods are counted during the inspection process on the Israeli side, and then transferred to the Gazan side of the crossings for aid agencies to collect and distribute.

https://gaza-aid-data.gov.il/main/

For the moment, Israel is shrugging off Britain’s actions. “If, due to anti-Israel obsession and political considerations, the British Government is willing to harm the British economy — that is its own prerogative,” Oren Marmorstein, a spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry, said

These people can’t be serious surely? Anti-Israel obsession from UK - since when?

If you say anything against israel at all the claims of anti this and anti that are rolled out.

The absolute arrogance of them to say 5 aid trucks have been allowed in as if that’s anywhere near enough.

Yes it may be too little too late from UK but at least we’re finally saying anything.

I’m always curious to know just how far Germanys guilt will go - will they now admit things have gone too far or will they continue to stand by Israel due to guilt from the past?

93 trucks entered Gaza yesterday (or a "few dozen" according to the UN so it depends which source you believe), not 5, that was on Monday.

Still not enough but it's important to understand that the number is increasing and I hope continues to increase daily.

Though I agree with you the UK doesn't have an anti-Israel obsession (only some people do) so that was wrong for the spokesperson to suggest. The UK has been very supportive of Israel in fact, though most people agree they have gone too far now especially in regard to preventing humanitarian aid from getting into Gaza for so long.

As for German guilt - they have an awful lot to feel guilty about. But I imagine they will shortly join UK, France & Canada in condemning Israel if we don't see large amounts of humanitarian aid being distributed soon to the civilians most in need.

The BBC says no aid has been entered Gaza. The trucks are parked up.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cq8037dd3p9t

They entered Gaza but the IDF hasn’t allowed the UN to distribute anything. They’re facing endless obstacles.

Yes and it was explained in the link I posted above that workers ran out of time because the Israeli military forced them to reload the supplies onto separate trucks.

It's very frustrating that additional measures have been put in place. But I can only guess it is for security reasons as in the past not all the aid reached the people it was supposed to, it somehow ended up with Hamas who then sold it to civilians at inflated prices (& used it to feed their own soldiers).

Israel are now at war with Hamas so it's not surprising really if additional measures are being taken to ensure none of it goes towards helping their war cause and all of it reaches civilians.

Given that the Israeli government have said that they are allowing aid in because it’s bad optics to see the population being starved, I’m less optimistic or not as easily persuaded that the IDF are doing this for any other reason than they can.

That is dated the 19th May.

At the risk of repeating myself, the UN have now stated that 5 trucks entered Gaza on Monday and "a few dozen" entered on Tuesday.

Hopefully more will enter today and the aid will start to be distributed today.

I’m so sick of people coming up with any reason they can find to justify withholding aid. Mothers are too malnourished to feed their starving babies. And those babies will die. And you can ‘but Hamas’ as much as you want. This is an active decision by the Israeli government.

Even if they are only doing it out of bad optics, why would they take longer then they feel they need to for security reasons to distribute it?

Surely that runs the risk of people dying of starvation and the ensuing bad optics that they are trying to avoid.

Because they don’t care if people die? Why do you think they do care?

It’s about fucking time other nations stood up to Israel. Their military action in Gaza is genocide in plain sight - none of us can say we didn’t know what was going on.

I presume you're talking about me but I'm all in favour of the aid being distributed as fast as possible and don't think it should have been withheld for so long.

I do have an issue with people who want to close their ears and minds to any mention of Hamas as if they are a minor consideration in this war.

As for German guilt - they have an awful lot to feel guilty about. But I imagine they will shortly join UK, France & Canada in condemning Israel if we don't see large amounts of humanitarian aid being distributed soon to the civilians most in need. @Twiglets1

British and Americans and various European nations are always quick to say why should they feel guilty for the past abuses of various nations/minorities - but yet it’s ok for Germany to be guilty?

Look I’m all for history being taught, shared and remembered and moving forward in a better way.

Feel sad, feel upset, feel regret that this happened …and then learn and do better, but the issue with this lingering “guilt” is that it leads to awkward situations like now when Germany are supporting Israel at all costs.

And no I don’t think Germany will join UK etc in condemnation of Israel. The guilt is crippling them.