Foreign ministers from 19 European Union countries have issued a strong condemnation of Israel’s new regulations governing aid for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Gaza. They warn that these measures will significantly worsen the humanitarian crisis in the region.
The recently implemented policy, which was agreed upon in March and is set to take effect in early September, imposes additional bureaucratic hurdles for organizations providing essential aid in the occupied Palestinian territories (OPTs). According to the United Nations, these requirements could lead to the deregistration of many international NGOs by September 9, further exacerbating the dire situation on the ground.
“The humanitarian suffering in Gaza has reached unimaginable levels. Famine is unfolding before our eyes,”
the statement emphasized, endorsed by the foreign ministers of 19 EU countries along with their counterparts from Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and nations such as Australia, Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The ministers stressed the urgent need for immediate action to halt and reverse the ongoing starvation crisis.
Call for immediate humanitarian action
The joint statement demands that Israel authorize all international NGOs to operate freely and insists on the necessity of facilitating the swift entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza through the United Nations and other international organizations.
Moreover, it asserts that humanitarian sites must remain safe and that lethal force should not be used in these areas. Reports have emerged of Palestinians being shot while attempting to access much-needed aid, heightening concerns over safety and access.
EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, along with Commissioners Dubravka Šuica and Hadja Lahbib, have also supported this urgent appeal. Earlier in the week, Lahbib criticized Israel’s military actions in Gaza, labeling plans for a military takeover of Gaza City as “catastrophic.”
Escalating tensions and rising death toll
European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera expressed deep concerns, stating that the current levels of starvation, displacement, and violence in Gaza “look very much” like an act of genocide. Israel and its allies have denied these allegations, maintaining that they are not engaged in genocide or war crimes.
It is noteworthy that several countries, including Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania, chose not to sign the statement issued on Tuesday. The ongoing conflict escalated in October 2023, following a surprise attack by Hamas militants that resulted in over 1,000 fatalities in southern Israel. The infrastructure in Gaza has suffered extensive damage, with critical facilities such as water, sanitation, and housing severely impacted.
The local authorities report that the civilian death toll has risen dramatically, with over 60,000 confirmed dead, a figure that includes both civilians and fighters. The increasing restrictions on humanitarian aid have led to a rising number of deaths due to starvation, disproportionately affecting women and children.
The situation is intensifying within European nations, as some EU civil servants express dissatisfaction with what they perceive as institutional complicity in the ongoing humanitarian disaster.