Israel faces international pressure to ease Gaza aid restrictions

Foreign Ministers from Qatar, Turkey, and six other countries issued a joint statement on Friday, calling for “unimpeded” humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip. The statement warned that nearly 1.9 million displaced Palestinians in the enclave are facing deteriorating conditions due to flooding, damaged buildings, and exposure to cold temperatures.

The foreign ministers expressed concern over the collapse of damaged buildings, malnutrition, and increased risks to civilian lives. They urged the international community to pressure Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately lift constraints on the entry and distribution of essential supplies, including tents, shelter materials, medical assistance, clean water, fuel, and sanitation support.

Israel has maintained restrictions on humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza despite its obligations under international law. A United States-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas stipulated that Israeli authorities must allow hundreds of aid trucks into Gaza daily. However, Israel has failed to abide by this requirement, continuing to block deliveries despite difficult winter conditions in the coastal territory.

The foreign ministers also commended humanitarian organizations for their continued support to Palestinians in Gaza. They demanded that Israel allow UN agencies and international nonprofit organizations to operate in Gaza and the occupied West Bank “in a sustained, predictable, and unrestricted manner.” The statement condemned any attempts to impede these organizations’ ability to operate as unacceptable.

Separately, Israeli forces killed one Palestinian and injured several others west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Four Palestinians were seriously wounded after an Israeli drone fired a grenade at a tent housing displaced people in Beit Lahiya.

Source: Al Jazeera