‘Wrong Message:’ Israel Refutes Call by 25 Countries to End Gaza War

“All statements and claims should be directed at the only party responsible for the lack of a deal for the release of hostages and a ceasefire: Hamas, which started this war and is prolonging it,” it added.

The joint declaration, titled “Occupied Palestinian Territories: Joint Statement, 21 July 2025,” was signed by Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Japan and others.

It was also signed by the EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness, and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib.

Their criticisms focused primarily on Israel’s new aid distribution model for Gaza, which they claimed is “dangerous, fuels instability, and deprives Gazans of human dignity.”

“We condemn the drip-feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food,” the statement said.

Responding to the statement on Monday night, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar noted that Hamas praised the statement, saying that if a terrorist organization “embraces you—you are in the wrong place.”

“Hamas’s praise for the statement by the group of countries is the best proof of the mistake they made—part of them out of good intentions and part of them out of an obsession against Israel,” Sa’ar tweeted.

“We are at a very sensitive moment in the negotiations for the release of hostages and a ceasefire. Hamas is entrenching itself in its positions and refusing a ceasefire and at the same time it is running a false campaign that is misleading many in the international community,” he stated.

“Countries must act responsibly and avoid playing into Hamas’s hands!” added Sa’ar.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also declared that “when Hamas thinks you do good work, you are doing evil.”

“How embarrassing for a nation to side w/ a terror group like Hamas & blame a nation whose civilians were massacred for fighting to get hostages released,” the American envoy posted on his X account.

In February, Israel and the US established a new organization, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), to oversee food aid delivery directly to Gazan civilians, bypassing Hamas, which had been exploiting aid as a funding source by expropriating it and reselling it at inflated prices.

Israel and the United States have cited Hamas as a key cause of the violence at aid sites. A June 30 cable sent from the US embassy in Jerusalem stated that the terrorist group had “formally placed bounties” on US and Palestinian workers of the GHF.

“Hamas is deliberately acting to increase friction and harm civilians who come to receive humanitarian aid,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry said.

The joint statement concluded that the nations were prepared “to take further action” to achieve an “immediate ceasefire” and pursue a diplomatic path to peace.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded: “The statement fails to focus pressure on Hamas and fails to recognize Hamas’s role and responsibility for the situation. Hamas is the sole party responsible for the continuation of the war and the suffering on both sides.

“At these sensitive moments in the ongoing negotiations, it is better to avoid statements of this kind,” it added.