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The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 August 2025.

Joint statement delivered by Ambassador Samuel Žbogar, Slovenian Permanent Representative to the UN, on behalf of Denmark, France, Greece, Slovenia and the United Kingdom.

We, the United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Greece and Slovenia, have called for today’s urgent meeting of the Security Council on the situation in Gaza.

We condemn the Government of Israel’s decision to further expand its military operations in Gaza.

This plan risks violating international humanitarian law. We call on Israel to urgently reverse this decision and not to implement it.

And we reiterate that any attempts at annexation or of settlement extension violate international law.

Expanding military operations will only endanger the lives of all civilians in Gaza, including the remaining hostages, and result in further unnecessary suffering.

Just this week, the Security Council heard a harrowing testimony from Ilay David, the brother of Evyatar David who was cruelly taken hostage by Hamas on 7 October and has been held in atrocious conditions in Gaza for over 22 months.

His briefing was a stark reminder that the suffering of the remaining hostages and their families must end.
The Security Council has consistently called for the unconditional and immediate release of all the hostages.

And we are clear that Hamas must disarm and play no future part in the governance of Gaza, where the Palestinian Authority must have a central role.

But this decision by the Israeli Government will do nothing to secure the return of the hostages and risks further endangering their lives.

It will also worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and risks further death and mass displacement of Palestinian civilians.

The IPC has warned that famine is unfolding in Gaza. Children are dying from starvation.

Hunger is so severe that desperate civilians are taking the risk of getting killed at aid distribution sites in order to feed their families.

This is a manmade crisis, and therefore urgent action is needed to halt starvation and to surge aid into Gaza.

We have a clear message for Israel: lift restrictions on aid delivery to allow the UN and established humanitarian partners to operate safely and at scale, in line with the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence.

It is also vital that international NGOs can operate in Gaza. Israel’s unreasonable visa and registration requirements must be removed and all land routes opened for essential supplies, including food, baby formula, medicine, fuel and clean water.

After 22 months of suffering in Gaza, now is the time for diplomacy, not more war.

The ceasefire earlier this year showed what can be achieved when there is political will. It ended the bloodshed. Hostages were reunited with their loved ones. Effective humanitarian aid reached those in desperate need.

The international conference on the two-state solution last month, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, was a powerful demonstration of the strength of international resolve to secure a better future and deliver long-term peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the region.

We call on both parties to secure an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the release of all the hostages, and to urgently advance efforts to achieve a two-state solution.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 August 2025.

Joint Statement from the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom and the High Representative of the European Union.

The Foreign Ministers of Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom, and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, strongly reject the decision of the Israeli Security Cabinet on 8th August to launch an additional large-scale military operation in Gaza. It will aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation, endanger the lives of the hostages, and further risk the mass displacement of civilians. The plans that the Government of Israel has announced risk violating international humanitarian law. Any attempts at annexation or of settlement extension violate international law.

We urge the parties and the international community to make all efforts to finally bring this terrible conflict to an end now, through an immediate and permanent ceasefire that enables the provision of a massive, immediate and unimpeded humanitarian assistance, as the worst-case scenario of a famine is unfolding in Gaza. Hamas must release all hostages without further delay or precondition and must ensure they are humanely treated and not subject to cruelty and humiliation.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic. We call on the Government of Israel to urgently find solutions to amend its recent registration system of international humanitarian organisations, to ensure these vital actors of humanitarian aid can continue their essential work again in line with humanitarian principles to reach the civilians in need in Gaza. Their exclusion would be an egregious signal.

We are united in our commitment to the implementation of a negotiated two-state solution as the only way to guarantee that both Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace, security, and dignity. A political resolution based on a negotiated two-state solution requires the total demilitarisation of Hamas and its complete exclusion from any form of governance in the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian Authority must have a central role.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 August 2025.

A joint statement from Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom on the 5th anniversary of the fraudulent 2020 presidential election in Belarus.

Joint statement from the Commonwealth of Australia, Canada and The United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland:

Five years ago, the Lukashenko regime launched a brutal crackdown on peaceful protestors following the fraudulent 2020 presidential election in Belarus. We – Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom – stand united in condemning the ongoing repression and human rights violations.

Since August 2020, the Belarusian authorities have waged a campaign to shut down civil society, independent media, and any form of political opposition. Thousands have been unjustly detained, subjected to torture, or forced into exile. These actions represent a flagrant breach of Belarus’ international law obligations and are a serious violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The regime’s support for Putin’s illegal war against Ukraine further underscores its disregard for global peace and security.

While we welcome the recent releases of several political prisoners in Belarus, we remain deeply concerned by the continued arrests and persecution of individuals for exercising their human rights.

Over 1,100 individuals remain detained in connection with political activities. We jointly call for their immediate and unconditional release and urge the Belarusian authorities to end their campaign of repression.

Our nations remain steadfast in defending human rights, promoting accountability, and supporting the Belarusian people’s aspirations for a free and democratic future.