Gaza, Kallas: “There is no justification for the deterioration” of the humanitarian crisis

Brussels – In Egypt for a series of high-level meetings, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, acknowledged that the situation in Gaza remains “extremely serious” and that “there is no justification for the deterioration of the humanitarian situation to its current level”. Her Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, called on the European Union to commit to implementing the second phase of the peace plan drawn up by the US administration. 

In the comprehensive talks between the head of EU diplomacy and the Egyptian Foreign Minister—Kallas will meet with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday—the Middle East issue remains a priority. “Hamas refuses to disarm, blocking progress towards the next stages of the peace plan,” Kallas said, “while at the same time Israel is restricting international NGOs, seriously jeopardising access to humanitarian aid.” Since the beginning of the new year, Tel Aviv has revoked access to the Gaza Strip for 37 organisations, at a time when, due to a very harsh winter, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are exposed to heavy rains and a sharp drop in temperatures. 

Yesterday, in a joint statement with EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Suica, and Commissioner for Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, Kallas had called on Israel not to apply the law on the registration of non-governmental organisations in its current form, stressing that “without these international NGOs, humanitarian aid cannot be provided to the extent necessary to prevent further loss of life in Gaza.” 

Cairo, a key mediator in achieving the ceasefire on 8 October, insisted on the need to distribute humanitarian, medical, and relief aid “in sufficient quantities and without restrictions, especially in light of the harsh winter conditions” to alleviate the suffering of the population.

 Three months after the end of Israeli carpet bombing, and despite the ceasefire having been violated hundreds of times—just today, seven people, including four children, were reportedly killed in raids conducted by Tel Aviv—Abdelatty called for accelerating phase two of the plan, which provides for the formation of a Technical Committee for the governance of the Strip and the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force to ensure its security. These are “necessary for the start of recovery and reconstruction,” he stressed. For Kallas, “it is important to proceed without delay,” because “any power vacuum will only benefit extremists.”