Nations around the world on Friday expressed concern over Israeli plans to reoccupy Gaza City, saying that it would only worsen the war and lead to more bloodshed.
Here is what they said:
Türkiye
Türkiye urged global pressure to halt the plan.
"We call on the international community to fulfil its responsibilities to prevent the implementation of this decision, which aims to forcibly displace Palestinians from their own land," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“Every step taken by the fundamentalist Netanyahu government to continue the genocide against the Palestinians and to expand the occupation deals a heavy blow to international peace and security, increases regional instability, and deepens the humanitarian crisis,” the ministry added.
United Nations
UN human rights chief Volker Turk said the plan must be "immediately halted". He said that Israel should instead allow "the full, unfettered flow of humanitarian aid" and that Palestinian groups must unconditionally release hostages.
China
"Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people and is an inseparable part of Palestinian territory," a foreign ministry spokesperson told AFP in a message.
"The correct way to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to secure the release of hostages is an immediate ceasefire," they added.
Spain
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said: "We firmly condemn the decision of the Israeli government to escalate the military occupation of Gaza. It will only cause more destruction and suffering."
He added that "a permanent ceasefire, the immediate and massive entry of humanitarian aid, and the release of all hostages are urgently needed".
United Kingdom
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the plan was "wrong" and added that "this action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages" but would "only bring more bloodshed".
Sweden
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard warned that Israel's plan to occupy Gaza raises serious concerns and could constitute a violation of international law.
"I view with great concern the decision that the Israeli government has made. We need a ceasefire and this decision risks taking the development in the opposite direction," she said, according to Swedish public broadcaster SVT.
Australia
Australia said such a move will "worsen the humanitarian catastrophe" in the besieged coastal enclave of Palestine.
"Australia calls on Israel not to go down this path," Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement
Scotland
Scotland's First Minister John Swinney strongly condemned Israel's decision to seize control of Gaza, calling the move "completely and utterly unacceptable".
In a statement posted on social media, the SNP leader warned that the Israeli government's decision would lead to increased human suffering and further escalate the ongoing conflict.
Swinney said: "The decision of the Israeli government to seize control of Gaza City is completely and utterly unacceptable. It will create even more human suffering for the Palestinian people and further escalate the conflict."
Germany
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said it was "increasingly difficult to understand" how the Israeli military plan would help achieve legitimate aims.
"Under these circumstances, the German government will not authorise any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice," he added.
Denmark
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen called on Israel to “immediately reverse” its decision to occupy Gaza, warning that the move would only worsen the suffering of civilians in the blockaded enclave.
Belgium
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said on X that the Israeli ambassador had been summoned to express "our total disapproval of this decision".
EU
"The Israeli government's decision to further extend its military operation in Gaza must be reconsidered," EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on X. She called for a ceasefire, the release of all hostages and "immediate and unhindered access" for humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the Israeli Security Cabinet’s decision to occupy Gaza City, calling it a “war crime” and “an act of ethnic cleansing” against the Palestinian people.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said it “denounces in the strongest and most severe terms any Israeli move to control Gaza.”
The ministry warned that the plan represents “a clear violation of international humanitarian law” and “a blatant disregard for the Palestinian people’s historical and legal rights to their land.” It also criticised Israel’s “inhumane practices,” including the use of “starvation as a weapon and the continued siege of the enclave,” adding that these actions reflect an “extremist policy aimed at displacing Palestinians by force.”
