The UK, France, and Canada have threatened “concrete actions,” including potential sanctions, against Israel over its activities in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The countries are urging Israel to halt “egregious” new military actions and immediately allow the entry of humanitarian aid.
The strongly worded statement was released shortly after Israel and the United Nations announced that a small number of aid trucks had entered Gaza, following nearly three months of an Israeli blockade. Israel acknowledged that this move came amid pressure from its allies. The joint statement described Israel’s decision to allow only a “minimal” amount of aid into Gaza as “wholly inadequate.” There was no immediate response from the Israeli government.
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According to COGAT, the Israeli defense body responsible for coordinating aid to Gaza, five trucks carrying baby food and other essential supplies entered the territory, which is home to over 2 million people, via the Kerem Shalom crossing. The UN welcomed this as a “positive development” but emphasized that significantly more aid is required. Food security experts warned last week of impending famine in Gaza. During the previous ceasefire, which Israel ended in March, approximately 600 aid trucks entered Gaza daily.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher described the initial trucks as a “drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed,” adding that four additional UN trucks had been cleared to enter Gaza, potentially on Tuesday, according to COGAT.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that his decision to resume limited aid to Gaza was influenced by concerns from allies who said they could not support Israel’s renewed military offensive if “images of hunger” emerged from the Palestinian territory.
Twenty-two donor countries issued a joint statement urging Israel to “allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza immediately” following the partial lifting of the blockade. The foreign ministers of these countries, including France and Germany, stated that “whilst we acknowledge indications of a limited restart of aid,” the population of the war-ravaged territory “faces starvation” and “must receive the aid they desperately need”.
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