Foreign minister of Muslim demand immediate entroy of aid to Gaza

The foreign ministers of eight Muslim nations have called on the international community to pressure Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately lift constraints on the entry of basic necessities to Gaza.

The top diplomats from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Turkey, the State of Qatar, and the Arab Republic of Egypt made the appeal in a joint statement released on Friday.

The ministers called on the international community “to uphold its legal and moral responsibilities and 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.” 

They highlighted that the severe weather has laid bare the fragility of existing humanitarian conditions, particularly for almost 1.9 million people and displaced families living in inadequate shelters.

They expressed their deepest concern regarding the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, which has been exacerbated by severe, harsh, and unstable weather conditions and compounded by the shortages of essential life-saving supplies.

Gaza’s population falls by over 10% due to Israel’s genocide: Report

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) says the population of the Gaza Strip has dropped by 10.6 percent in the last two years, marking a “severe demographic haemorrhage” because of Israel’s genocide.

They called for the immediate, full, and unhindered humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip through the UN and its agencies, the rehabilitation of infrastructure and hospitals, and the opening of the Rafah Crossing in both directions as stipulated in a ceasefire plan.

The ministers pointed out that flooded camps, damaged tents, the collapse of damaged buildings, and exposure to cold temperatures, coupled with malnutrition, have significantly heightened risks to civilian lives, including due to disease outbreaks, especially among children, women, the elderly, and individuals with medical vulnerabilities. 

They also commended the tireless efforts of all United Nations organizations and agencies, especially UNRWA, as well as humanitarian international NGOs, in continuing to assist Palestinian civilians and deliver humanitarian assistance under extremely difficult and complex circumstances.

Elsewhere in the statement, the foreign ministers demanded that Israel ensure the UN and international NGOs can operate in Gaza and the West Bank in a sustained, predictable, and unrestricted manner, given their integral role in the humanitarian response in the Strip.

“Any attempt to impede their ability to operate is unacceptable," the statement said. 

Israel has barred 37 international humanitarian organizations from operating in Gaza, including major groups such as Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières – MSF), CARE, Action Against Hunger, Oxfam affiliates, the Norwegian Refugee Council, World Vision, and Caritas.

Under the new rules, any group or staff member found to have supported boycotts of Israel, questioned Israeli military conduct, denied the October 7 Hamas-led operation, or backed international legal cases against Israeli officials can be barred from operating in Gaza. 

Despite a ceasefire, Israeli authorities have rejected multiple requests by international organizations to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza. 

In a ruling on October 22, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip, underscoring its legal obligation as an occupying power to ensure Palestinians have access to essential goods for survival.

Israel aims to displace one million Palestinians from Gaza City

A senior Israeli military official says the occupying regime has estimated that an imminent offensive in the Gaza Strip would displace one million Palestinians, as it is pushing for the seizure of Gaza City.

Hawkish minister claims ‘Gaza belongs to Israel’

Israel’s far-right culture minister Miki Zohar has claimed that the besieged Palestinian territory belongs to Israel, and that the roughly 2.3 million Palestinians in the strip are “guests” whom Israel is merely allowing to live there for now.

He made the remarks in an interview with the Kan public broadcaster on Thursday.

This comes as Israeli intelligence reports leaked in the early stages of the war on Gaza suggested officials in the regime were seeking to implement a plan to forcefully relocate hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza to tent camps in the neighboring Sinai region in Egypt.

Back then, reports said Egypt was offered financial support and debt relief from the US in return for hosting the Palestinians.

Ynet also said Israel proposed writing off a significant chunk of Egypt’s international debts through the World Bank in return for opening its doors for displaced Palestinians.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk