Nations demand Israel to immediately lift restrictions, allow aid flow

Gaza: Nations demanded that Israel lift its restrictions on Gaza and allow “immediate, full and unhindered” flow of humanitarian aid into the war-torn land. Countries such as Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkiye, Pakistan, and Indonesia warned in a statement on Friday that conditions in Gaza are deteriorating, leaving around 1.9 million displaced Palestinians vulnerable, according to a report by Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera quoted from the statement, “Flooded camps, damaged tents, the collapse of damaged buildings, and exposure to cold temperatures coupled with malnutrition, have significantly heightened risks to civilian lives.”

The countries requested the international community “to pressure Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately lift constraints on the entry and distribution of essential supplies, including tents, shelter materials, medical assistance, clean water, fuel, and sanitation support.

Showing sheer indifference to Israel’s obligations under international law, under which it must ensure that the basic needs of Palestinians in Gaza are met, the Zionist regime maintained stringent restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave.

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, brokered by the US, came into effect in October and stipulates that Israel must allow hundreds of aid trucks into Gaza daily. But the Benjamin Netanyahu government continued restricting aid into the enclave, while a harsh winter was descending on Gaza. Gazans are living in dire conditions in makeshift tents and are lacking blankets and other essentials.

In recent rainfalls and ensuing floods, several people were killed after damaged buildings collapsed. There were cases of children dying from hypothermia.