“Humanitarian space must be protected, and aid should never be politicized,” the statement read. It warned that due to new restrictive registration requirements, essential international NGOs might have to leave the OPTs soon, which would worsen the humanitarian situation.
The statement urged Israel to authorize all international NGOs and “unblock” humanitarian actors, also calling for the immediate entry of widespread aid into Gaza via the U.N. and international NGOs.
It emphasized that lethal force must not be used at aid sites, noting that many Palestinians have reportedly been shot by snipers and tanks while trying to access aid.
EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and Commissioners Dubravka Šuica and Hadja Lahbib supported the statement. Earlier, Lahbib publicly criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza, describing military takeover plans as “catastrophic.”
European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera told POLITICO that the situation in Gaza “looks very much” like genocide. Israel and its allies deny accusations of genocide and war crimes.
Foreign ministers from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania did not endorse the statement.
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