On July 21, local time, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement formally rejecting the joint declaration from several countries, accusing it of being “detached from reality” and sending the wrong signal to the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
The statement emphasized that Hamas bears full responsibility for the breakdown of the agreement on the release of detained Israelis and the failure to cease fire. It stated that Hamas has spread false information about Israel, while deliberately creating conflict at humanitarian aid sites to harm civilians. The statement criticized international statements for not exerting the appropriate pressure on Hamas, ignoring the organization’s responsibility for the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis, and called for such interference-inducing statements to be avoided during the sensitive period of negotiations.
A joint statement was issued by 25 countries including the United Kingdom and France, calling for an immediate end to the conflict in Gaza and condemning the humanitarian aid distribution model led by Israel. (CCTV Zhao Bing)