The raging Israeli war on the Gaza Strip is triggering a humanitarian catastrophe, represents mass punishment of more than two million Palestinians, and is pushing the entire region towards the abyss, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi, on Saturday warned.

Safadi said failure of the international community to stop the war is a failure to implement international law, safeguard common human values and protect innocent civilians, who face war and do not find shelter, food, or hospitals for their children and wounded people.

Safadi is scheduled to meet today with the Canadian Foreign Minister and is discussing with her efforts to stop war on Gaza, and is following up on contacts with his counterparts to discuss ways to stop repercussions of the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the war, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

Additionally, the FM said silence over the war and destruction to which the people of Gaza are exposed is silence over an aggression that deprives Gazans of their humanity and their right to protection, and silence on the flagrant Israeli violations of international law.

Safadi noted "international community must deal with the war on the Gaza Strip according to one criteria, and condemn killing of Palestinian civilians just as it deplored killing of Israeli civilians, as civilian victims are victims, regardless of their identity or nationality."