WARSAW <\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza are absolutely unacceptable, and those responsible for them will face consequences, Poland\u2019s prime minister said Monday.<\/p>\n
\u201cTerrible things are happening in the Gaza Strip and the people responsible will have to face consequences,\u201d Donald Tusk told a news conference in Sierakowice, northern Poland, while also stressing Poland\u2019s support for Israel\u2019s security.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut there can be no justification for killing children or starving the civilian population,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s army launched a new offensive on Gaza City last Tuesday after weeks of heavy bombardment and attacks.<\/p>\n
While acknowledging what he called Hamas\u2019s responsibility for starting the conflict with its Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israeli civilians, Tusk said this \u201cis still no justification for what Israel has decided in Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe campaign ruins the image and history of Israel\u2019s efforts,\u201d Tusk said, adding that \u201ca crime must be called by its name.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that over 65,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 165,000 wounded in the Gaza offensive since the 2023 Hamas attack in which about 1,200 Israelis died.<\/p>\n
Poland\u2019s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said earlier Monday that “even when Israel acts in self-defense, it is not exempt from respecting international law.”<\/p>\n
The Associated Press, citing local medical services and witnesses, reported that Israeli forces killed at least 23 Palestinians waiting for food in the Gaza Strip on Sunday.<\/p>\n
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday also announced that France has formally recognized the Palestinian state, joining other Western states, including the UK.<\/p>\n