PARIS, May  19, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The leaders of Britain, France and Canada
on Monday condemned Israel's "egregious actions" in Gaza, opposed its expanded
offensive, and slammed Israeli ministers for threatening the mass displacement
of civilians.

"We will not stand by" while the government of Benjamin Netanyahu pursues
those actions, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel
Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a joint statement.

"We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to
achieving a two-state solution and are prepared to work with others to this
end," they said.

 The statement coincided with a joint demand by 22 countries -- including
Britain, France and Canada -- for Israel to immediately "allow a full
resumption of aid into Gaza", noting that the territory's population "faces
starvation".

 Israel has kept Gaza in a total aid blockade since March 2, but announced
on Monday it would allow a limited number of supply trucks.

 Prime Minister Netanyahu said the limited aid access was because "images of
mass starvation" in Gaza could hurt the legitimacy of his country's war.

The statement by Britain, France and Canada said that Israel's "denial of
essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable
and risks breaching international humanitarian law".

 It also slammed "abhorrent language used recently by members of the Israeli
government, threatening that, in their despair at the destruction of Gaza,
civilians will start to relocate".

The leaders said that "permanent forced displacement is a breach of
international humanitarian law".

Israel's military has stepped up an offensive in Gaza as part of its
prolonged response to Hamas's October 2023 attack that triggered the war and
resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians,
according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Gaza's health ministry said on Monday at least 3,340 people have been
killed since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, taking the war's overall toll
to 53,486.