Britain, Canada, France warn Israel over Gaza offensive, threaten joint action
Paris: The leaders of Britain, France, and Canada have jointly condemned Israel’s "egregious actions" in Gaza and warned of "further concrete actions" if the Israeli government does not halt its renewed military offensive and lift restrictions on humanitarian aid.
In a strongly worded joint statement issued on May 19, Prime Minister Keir Starmer (UK), President Emmanuel Macron (France), and Prime Minister Mark Carney (Canada) denounced Israel’s aid blockade and rhetoric from Israeli ministers suggesting mass displacement of Palestinians.
“We will not stand by while the Netanyahu government pursues these egregious actions,” the statement read. “If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.”
The leaders also reiterated their commitment to recognising a Palestinian state, calling it “a contribution to achieving a two-state solution.”
The warning coincided with a broader call from 22 countries, including the UK, France, and Canada, urging Israel to allow full resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza, where the population “faces starvation.” Israel, which had imposed a total blockade since March 2, announced on Monday that a limited number of aid trucks would be allowed in.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fiercely rejected the statement, accusing the Western leaders of rewarding Hamas for the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. “By demanding a Palestinian state and asking Israel to end a defensive war, these leaders are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel,” he said.
Netanyahu maintained that the war could end if Hamas surrenders, hostages are released, and Gaza is demilitarised. “Israel will continue to defend itself by just means until total victory is achieved,” he stated, describing the conflict as “a war of civilisation over barbarism.”
The joint statement also criticised Israeli ministers’ threats of displacement, stating that “permanent forced displacement is a breach of international humanitarian law.” It further said that denial of humanitarian aid “risks breaching international humanitarian law.”
According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 3,340 people have died since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, bringing the total death toll in Gaza to 53,486. On the Israeli side, the October 7 attack by Hamas claimed 1,218 lives, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures.
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MP: Woman, lover conspire to get husband killed; police looking for contract killer
Dhar (MP) (PTI): A 25-year-old woman and her lover have been arrested in the district for allegedly conspiring to kill her husband by hiring a contract killer, police said on Thursday.
The case was solved within 36 hours of the murder though the woman initially tried to mislead the police by claiming that robbers killed her husband, an official said.
Dev Krishna Purohit (28) was stabbed to death on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday at his house in Gondikheda Charan village, about 60 km from here.
Superintendent of Police Mayank Awasthi told reporters that accused Priyanka Purohit (25) was married to Dev Krishna when she was around 15 years old. Priyanka moved to her matrimonial home after attaining adulthood but was unwilling to live with her husband, leading to frequent disputes between them.
During investigation, it emerged that she was in a relationship with Kamlesh (32), the SP said.
The duo allegedly hatched a plan to kill Dev Krishna and hired a man identified as Surendra for Rs 1 lakh do the job, he said
After Dev Krishna was killed, Priyanka told police that unidentified persons broke into the house, attacked her husband with a sharp weapon while holding her captive in another room, and fled with valuables.
But the inconsistencies in her statements raised suspicion, and eventually she confessed to hatching the murder conspiracy, the SP said.
While she and Kamlesh were arrested, police are looking for the contract killer, the official added.
