The former President of the Assembly of the Republic, Augusto Santos Silva, commended the government of Luís Montenegro for signing the joint declaration of 25 countries calling for an end to the Israeli offensive and the delivery of more aid to Gaza, although he considered the measure “belated”.
“The Portuguese government did well to sign the letter of the 25 countries demanding that Israel end military operations in Gaza. The only criticism that could be made of the letter is that it is belated. But better late than never,” he wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.
The socialist noted that the document represents an “unequivocal condemnation of the massacre being committed by the Israeli government” by countries such as France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Australia, Italy, and Spain, which “in no way diminishes the importance of demanding the unconditional release of the hostages still held by Hamas”.
“Now, it is necessary to increase pressure for the European Union to suspend the application of the association agreement with Israel. Diplomacy cannot stand idly by in the face of barbarism,” he said.
It is recalled that, also on Tuesday, Hamas thanked the joint letter and requested “practical measures” to achieve the proposed objectives.
“We urge the signatory states to translate the content [of the appeal] into practical measures to end the humanitarian tragedy caused by the occupation in the Gaza Strip, to exert direct and effective pressure to stop the brutal war of extermination against the [Palestinian] people and to ensure the immediate flow of humanitarian aid,” said the group in a statement.
The Foreign Ministries of 25 countries, including Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Canada, called in a joint declaration issued on Monday for an end to the Israeli military offensive in Palestine and opposed any territorial or demographic changes in the region.
The group of countries criticized “the colonization plan announced by the Civil Administration” which, “if implemented, would divide the Palestinian state in two, constituting a flagrant violation of international law and severely compromising the two-state solution”.
“The construction of settlements throughout the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has accelerated, while settler violence against Palestinians has skyrocketed. This situation must end,” the signatories added.
The Hamas today expressed gratitude for the joint statement by 25 countries, including Portugal, calling for an end to the Israeli offensive and the entry of more aid into Gaza and requested “practical measures” to achieve these goals.
Lusa | 14:50 – 22/07/2025
The declaration came at a time when the Gaza Strip is facing one of the most critical humanitarian moments since the beginning of the Israeli offensive, with a sharp increase in deaths from malnutrition and hunger.
The representatives of the 25 countries involved also expressed their opposition to the relocation project of 2.1 million Palestinians to Rafah – as was recently advocated by the Israeli government – as permanent forced relocation is a violation of international humanitarian law.
Israel, in turn, rejected this declaration and blamed Hamas for the ongoing attacks in the devastated Gaza Strip.
“All statements and claims should be directed at the sole party responsible for the lack of an agreement for the release of hostages and a ceasefire: Hamas, which started this war and is prolonging it,” stated the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a communiqué.
