Foreign ministers of Australia, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and the UK have issued a joint statement, strongly rejecting Israel’s decision to seize Gaza City.

The plan will “aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation, endanger the lives of the hostages, and further risk the mass displacement of civilians”, read the statement.

The countries also warned that it risked violating international humanitarian law.

“Any attempts at annexation or of settlement extension violate international law.”

The signatories urged Hamas to release all captives and Israel to find solutions to ensure that humanitarian aid can reach those in need.