EU Statement – UN Security Council: Briefing on the humanitarian situation in Gaza

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. 

The EU deplores the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, the unacceptable number of civilian casualties and the levels of starvation. The EU recalls the imperative of ensuring the protection of all civilians, including humanitarian workers, at all times, as well as of civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities and schools, as well as UN premises. 

The EU calls on Israel to fully lift its blockade on Gaza, to allow immediate, unimpeded, safe and predictable access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale into and throughout Gaza and to enable the UN and its agencies, and humanitarian organisations, to work independently and impartially to save lives and reduce suffering. The EU has consistently called on Israel to fully comply with its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law.

After the meeting of the EU Council of Ministers in June, the High Representative entered into a dialogue with Israeli authorities on the humanitarian situation. Following the dialogue between the EU and Israel, steps have been agreed by Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. 

These expected steps include, among other things, the substantial increase of daily trucks for food and non-food items to enter Gaza, the opening of several other crossing points in both the northern and southern areas; the reopening of the Jordanian and Egyptian aid routes; enabling the distribution of food supplies through bakeries and public kitchens throughout the Gaza strip; the resumption of fuel deliveries for use by humanitarian facilities, up to an operational level; the protection of aid workers; the repair and facilitation of works on vital infrastructure like the resumption of the power supply to the water desalination facility. 

We can already see some improvements, including delivery of fuel, re-opening of the Jordanian and Egyptian routes, opening of a crossing point in North Gaza, and ongoing reparations of essential humanitarian infrastructure, but a lot more is needed. 

These measures are to be implemented with the common understanding that aid at scale must be delivered in accordance with humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence; and that measures will continue to be taken to ensure that there is no aid diversion to Hamas or elsewhere. The EU will closely monitor the implementation of these steps. We welcome updates from our humanitarian partners in this regard. 

At the same time, the European Union continues to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional release of all hostages, leading to a permanent end to hostilities. The EU continues to fully support the mediators – US, Egypt and Qatar. The EU deplores the refusal of Hamas to hand over the remaining hostages. 

I reaffirm the EU's commitment to a lasting and sustainable peace based on the two-state solution, with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign, and viable State of Palestine, living side by side in peace and security and mutual recognition. We are ready to contribute to all efforts towards this solution and call on all parties to refrain from actions that undermine its viability. In this context, the EU will continue supporting the Palestinian Authority and its reform agenda. 

We look forward to the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia from 28-30 July.