Six European nations have joined forces to call for an urgent end to the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza. At a high-level meeting in Rome, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, and the United Kingdom, alongside the EU’s foreign policy chief, demanded an immediate ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian access, and the release of Palestinians held captive by Israel.

This plea comes amid an ongoing siege that has sealed Gaza’s borders since early March, leaving hundreds of aid trucks stranded and the population facing severe famine. Despite mounting international pressure, the blockade persists, deepening the suffering of over two million Palestinians trapped under devastating conditions.

The meeting also touched on broader security concerns in Europe and beyond, but the focus on Gaza highlights the growing unease with Israel’s unyielding aggression, backed by the United States, that has wrought catastrophic loss. Since October 2023, more than 183,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed or injured, with thousands missing and countless displaced.

This latest call echoes previous appeals from European leaders condemning the near two-year campaign of destruction and rejecting attempts at forced displacement and demographic engineering in Palestinian territories.

From a Palestinian perspective, these statements, while welcome, fall short of the urgent action needed to halt the ongoing genocide. The world watches as Gaza endures, hoping that diplomatic words will soon translate into decisive measures to end the occupation and restore dignity and life to a people left to suffer in silence.