Canada, UK and France threaten Israel with sanctions over its new offensive in Gaza

Canada, the United Kingdom and France have condemned Israelʼs expansion of military operations in the Gaza Strip and vowed to "take concrete measures in response" if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not stop the offensive and lift restrictions on humanitarian aid.

This is stated in a joint statement by the leaders of the three states.

They all condemn statements by Israeli officials that may indicate the forced displacement of civilians, which violates international law. They also consider the Israeli governmentʼs refusal to provide the Palestinians with the necessary humanitarian assistance unacceptable.

While the leaders recognize Israelʼs right to defend itself after the October 7 attack, they consider the current actions disproportionate. The leaders of Canada, the United Kingdom and France also oppose the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

The three countries support the efforts of the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, which are trying to stop the war in the Gaza Strip through a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and a political solution that includes the creation of a Palestinian state.

In response, Benjamin Netanyahu said that the UK, France and Canada "are rewarding terrorism amid threats regarding Israelʼs actions in Gaza".

“Israel accepts [US President Donald] Trump’s vision and calls on all European leaders to do the same,” the prime minister added, referring to support for the US president’s plan to seize Gaza and clear it of Palestinians.

What preceded

On the night of March 18, Israel resumed hostilities in the Gaza Strip after a two-month ceasefire. The strikes killed the de facto prime minister of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip Isaam Daalis and four other senior Hamas officials.

Israel has placed responsibility for the resumption of hostilities on Hamas — the militants allegedly rejected all proposals to extend the ceasefire. Therefore, any further negotiations with Hamas, if they are to be held, will only be "under fire" — that is, Israel refuses a ceasefire as a condition for starting new negotiations.

In early May, Netanyahu said that the plan to seize the entire Gaza Strip and hold it would be “intensive”. Tens of thousands of reservists were called up in the country to expand the military operation. Already on May 18, the Israel Defense Forces began “large-scale” ground operations in the Gaza Strip.

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