Wednesday Briefing

A view of northern Gaza yesterday.Credit…Jack Guez/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Major allies sent Israel a warning

Israel’s threats to drastically escalate the war in Gaza and its blockade of humanitarian aid to the population, which is already at risk of famine, have drawn the sharpest condemnation yet from some of its allies since the conflict began 19 months ago.

Britain said yesterday that it was suspending talks with Israel on expanding a free-trade agreement. The day before, Britain, France and Canada demanded that Israel stop its “wholly disproportionate” escalation and made clear that its conduct of the war, the high death toll and the abysmal humanitarian conditions in Gaza were pushing the limits of what allies would tolerate.

“If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response,” the three countries warned in a rare public reprimand.

Response: Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the allies had handed Hamas “a huge prize” and accused them of encouraging a repeat of the militants’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, which started the war.

A warning: A senior U.N. humanitarian official, Tom Fletcher, told the BBC yesterday that 14,000 babies in Gaza could die in the next 48 hours unless aid was allowed in. But the U.N. later appeared to walk back his remarks.