Europe, Japan, Canada raise concerns over Gaza humanitarian crisis
In a joint statement, foreign ministers from Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK highlighted the “catastrophic” conditions facing residents of the besieged enclave. They emphasized that winter has further intensified the humanitarian challenges, with 1.3 million Gazans still in urgent need of shelter.
The ministers cited the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, released earlier this month, as evidence that the crisis remains severe. While acknowledging the ceasefire in Gaza, the statement stressed that the plight of civilians must remain a central concern.
The officials urged Israel to allow the UN, its partners, and humanitarian organizations to continue their essential work, calling for the removal of restrictions on imports deemed dual-use. They warned that many established NGOs face deregistration under Israel’s new requirements, which could force the closure of humanitarian operations in Gaza and the West Bank within 60 days, severely impacting access to critical services such as healthcare.
Ensuring that UN agencies and partners can maintain their work was described as “essential” to the impartial, neutral, and independent delivery of aid. The ministers specifically noted UNRWA’s role in providing vital healthcare and education to millions of Palestinian refugees.
The statement also called on Israel to open border crossings and increase the flow of humanitarian supplies. Officials argued that the current target of 4,200 trucks per week, including 250 UN trucks per day, should serve as a minimum rather than a maximum, emphasizing the need for far greater deliveries to meet humanitarian needs.
Ongoing restrictions, the statement said, limit both the scale of aid delivery and the ability to carry out essential repairs and reconstruction, in line with international humanitarian law. The ministers urged Israel to remove these constraints and implement the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues to keep most Gaza crossings closed, preventing entry of mobile homes and reconstruction materials, further aggravating the crisis affecting over 2 million people. Palestinian officials report that at least 414 people have died in Gaza since the ceasefire on Oct. 10. Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 71,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, leaving the enclave largely uninhabitable.
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