The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, together with European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica and European Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib, have called on Israel to allow international non-governmental organizations to operate and deliver life-saving assistance to civilians in need in Palestine.
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They stressed that the continued operation of these organizations is a fundamental condition for preventing further loss of life in Gaza.
In a joint statement, they said that humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate as winter sets in, with Palestinians exposed to heavy rainfall and falling temperatures without safe shelter. The statement also noted the ongoing disruption of children’s education and the declining capacity of medical facilities to function amid a severe shortage of staff and equipment.
The statement pointed out that the European Council welcomed, in its conclusions issued on December 18, the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2803 on the establishment of a Peace Council and a temporary international stabilization force, as outlined in the comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza. It called on all parties to fully implement the resolution in line with relevant principles of international law, reaffirming the EU’s commitment to contribute to its implementation.
The statement emphasized the need for humanitarian aid to reach those in need swiftly, safely, and without obstruction, and to ensure its sustainable and large-scale distribution throughout Gaza. It urged Israel not to implement the NGO registration law in its current form.
Kallas, Šuica, and Lahbib affirmed that the absence of international NGOs would prevent the delivery of humanitarian assistance at the scale required to avert further loss of life. They stressed that the delivery of aid and services to civilians depends on access, and that international humanitarian law obliges all parties to a conflict to allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief.
