Germany, France and Britain called early Monday for a Gaza cease-fire while Israel braced for a large-scale attack.
“The fighting must end now, and all hostages still detained by Hamas must be released. The people of Gaza need urgent and unfettered delivery and distribution of aid,” the statement from the European leaders said.
It was signed by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The three nations also endorsed the latest mediation plan from the United States, Qatar and Egypt to end the 10-month-old Israel-Hamas war. The proposal calls for exchanging the rest of the hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and withdrawing Israeli troops from Gaza.
It also calls for Iran and its allies to refrain from attacking Israel in retaliation for the killing of two militant leaders in Beirut and Tehran.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Monday that he spoke with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to prepare for a possible large-scale military attack on Israel.
Austin said the United States would take every possible step to defend Israel. He noted that the U.S. military presence was being strengthened in the Middle East.
The USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group was ordered to speed up its journey to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, which covers the Middle East as well as Central and South Asia. The guided missile submarine USSS Georgia was also sent to the area.
On Friday, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards official was quoted as saying Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered Iran to "harshly punish" Israel over the July 31 killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran.
In Gaza on Sunday, Israel dropped leaflets from the sky ordering more evacuations from Khan Younis.
“We don’t know where to go,” Amal Abu Yahia, a mother of three, told the Associated Press. Her family returned to Khan Younis in June to shelter in their severely damaged home. It was the fourth displacement for the 42-year-old widow, whose husband was killed in March when an Israeli airstrike hit their neighbors’ house.
She said they went to Muwasi, a sprawling tent camp along the coast, but couldn't find space.
Ramadan Issa, a father of five in his 50s, fled Khan Younis with 17 members of his extended family, joining hundreds of people walking toward central Gaza.
“Every time we settle in one place and build tents for women and children, the occupation comes and bombs the area," he said, referring to Israel. "This situation is unbearable.”
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas in retaliation for the Oct. 7 terror attack that killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of 250 hostages. Israel’s counteroffensive has killed nearly 40,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the territory's Health Ministry, while Israel says the death toll includes thousands of Hamas fighters.
Material from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse was used in this report.
