Twenty-four US-allied nations and three senior EU officials have signed a joint statement calling for Israel to lift all restrictions on aid entering the Gaza Strip, warning that the Israeli-imposed famine has reached “unimaginable levels.”
The statement, published by the British Foreign Ministry, comes as Palestinians continue to starve to death every day in Gaza due to the US-backed Israeli blockade.
“The humanitarian suffering in Gaza has reached unimaginable levels. Famine is unfolding before our eyes. Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation. Humanitarian space must be protected, and aid should never be politicized,” the statement reads.
The statement warned that new restrictions could force aid groups and other NGOs to leave the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which would worsen the humanitarian situation. “We call on the government of Israel to provide authorisation for all international NGO aid shipments and to unblock essential humanitarian actors from operating,” the statement says.
“Immediate, permanent and concrete steps must be taken to facilitate safe, large-scale access for the UN, international NGOs and humanitarian partners. All crossings and routes must be used to allow a flood of aid into Gaza, including food, nutrition supplies, shelter, fuel, clean water, medicine and medical equipment,” the statement adds.
US and Israeli officials have been denying that Israel is responsible for the starvation in Gaza, but a report published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Tuesday detailed how Israeli restrictions are responsible for the famine. The US is increasingly on its own in providing unconditional military and political support for Israel, as more and more European countries are offering sharp criticism and restricting arms exports to Israel.
The statement signed by 24 nations also said that “Lethal force must not be used at distribution sites, and civilians, humanitarians and medical workers must be protected,” a reference to the daily massacres of desperate Palestinians seeking aid that have been committed by the IDF.
The statement was signed by the foreign ministers of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK.
