Mistreatment of Gazans decried

Statement slams Israel's blockade as expert says political cover may soon fall off

The joint condemnation by 28 countries of Israel's "drip feeding" of aid into Gaza and its "inhumane" killings reflects growing international frustration with a crisis allowed to spiral without consequences — especially in light of Israel's quick rejection of the concerns, says an expert.

Nagapushpa Devendra, a West Asia analyst and research scholar at the University of Erfurt in Germany, pointed to a "deeper concern "among these governments that the very principles of international law they defend elsewhere are being undermined in the long run.

In a joint statement published on Monday, the foreign ministers of 28 countries, including Australia, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, said the suffering of civilians in Gaza "has reached new depths" and demanded an immediate end to the conflict.