Six European countries, including Spain, Ireland, and Norway, on Wednesday condemned Israel's new plan to expand its military operations and control Gaza. They expressed their "strong opposition to any demographic or territorial changes in the Palestinian enclave," stressing that this would constitute a "violation of international law."

In a joint statement also signed by Slovenia, Iceland, and Luxembourg, the countries said, "Any new military escalation in Gaza will only exacerbate the catastrophic situation for Palestinian civilians and endanger the lives of the hostages still being held," according to Agence France-Presse.

The European Union renewed its urgent call on Wednesday for Israel to immediately lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip and allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need. It warned of a new mechanism Israel plans to implement to deliver aid.

"Israel, as an occupying power, is obliged under international law to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches populations in need," EU foreign policy chief Kaya Kallas, Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib, and Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica said in a joint statement.

The statement also urged a ceasefire and the immediate release of hostages, while expressing concern over a new aid delivery system approved by Israel on May 4.

The statement said that this new system undermines humanitarian principles by entrusting aid distribution to non-humanitarian entities and private security companies, which has also drawn criticism from the United Nations and relief organizations.

For his part, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that Israel's plans to deport Gaza residents raise "further concerns" that these measures "aimed to impose living conditions on Palestinians that are increasingly incompatible with their continued existence as a group" in the Strip.

“Israel’s announced plans to forcibly transfer Gaza residents to a small area in the southern Gaza Strip and threats by Israeli officials to deport Palestinians outside Gaza raise further concerns that Israel’s actions are aimed at imposing living conditions on Palestinians that are increasingly incompatible with their continued existence as a group in Gaza,” Volker Türk said in a statement issued Wednesday.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Wednesday that the total number of deaths due to Israeli attacks on the Strip has risen to 52,653, and the number of injured to 118,897. The ministry added in a statement that 38 people were killed as a result of Israeli attacks on Gaza in the past 24 hours.

Israel is waging war on the besieged Gaza Strip. Israeli officials have stated that the blockade will continue until the evacuation of residents from areas in the northern and central Gaza Strip is completed and they are relocated south, where an area will be designated for this purpose near the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Israel has already evacuated nearly a third of the Gaza Strip to create "security zones." The aid plan and plans to relocate most of the population south have raised concerns that the intention is to completely occupy the Gaza Strip, according to Reuters.