53 Countries and Groups Urge Israel to Open Gaza Aid Access
The U.N. appeal also calls for medical referral routes to reopen and all Gaza crossings to fully open before winter deepens the crisis.
A total of 53 countries and international organizations urged Israel to immediately open unhindered humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip as flooding and cold weather worsened conditions for displaced people. The joint appeal was delivered Thursday (12/11) at U.N. headquarters by Britain's U.N. Ambassador Sarah MacIntosh on behalf of the signatories, including Turki, Qatar, Jordan and the European Union. They called for aid to enter fully through all available land routes and crossings, in line with a comprehensive peace plan backed by U.N. Security Council Resolution 2803. Beyond aid, the signatories asked Israel to restore medical referrals for Gaza patients to hospitals in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and to open access for international delegations and journalists.