Debate: Humanitarian situation in Gaza, the need for the release of hostages and for an immediate humanitarian truce leading to a ceasefire and the prospects for peace and security in the Middle East
Date: WEDNESDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Janez Lenarčič
Language: EN

Also, as stated by President von der Leyen earlier today, we wholeheartedly welcome the agreement reached on the release of the 50 hostages and on a pause of hostilities. We stress, at the same time, the urgent need for all hostages to be released immediately, and we will work with our humanitarian partners to use the pause for the humanitarian surge in Gaza.  Allow me to focus on three issues in my intervention. The humanitarian situation in Gaza, including the question of access into Gaza, the European Union’s humanitarian response, and the outlook beyond the immediate humanitarian crisis.  First, on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. There has been no let-up in the intense bombardment and fighting in Gaza. Casualty rates remain very high. At least 12,700 Palestinians are reported killed, including a very high proportion of women and children. 1.7 million people are displaced within Gaza. Thousands are currently on the move. We are seeing ongoing attacks on and fighting around medical facilities, which are protected under the international humanitarian law. There is an acute shortage across Gaza of all the most basic necessities: food, medicines, including anaesthetics, water. According to the United Nations, food assistance currently covers only 10% of the minimum caloric intake. Medical facilities are either on the brink of collapse or have already shut down. Only 9 out of 35 hospitals in Gaza are reportedly still functioning, and this only partially. The toll on the United Nations and on aid and medical workers in Gaza has been appalling. At least 108 staff members of UNRWA alone have been killed since the beginning of this crisis. Humanitarian access into Gaza remains extremely challenging. Over the last month, fewer than 50 trucks a day, on average, have been going into Gaza through the Rafah crossing from Egypt. This is woefully inadequate. And for several days last week, not a single truck was able to get in. The acute shortage of fuel in Gaza remains a major constraint. The agreement on 18 November by Israel to allow 120,000 litres of fuel for humanitarian operations is a step in the right direction, but will only cover one third of the daily critical needs. Without fuel, trucks cannot move and humanitarian actors cannot operate. Fuel is vital for hospitals for clean water. It is needed for the treatment of sewage to avert the looming public health crisis, and for mobile networks, without which no humanitarian assistance can be delivered inside Gaza. The amount of fuel available to humanitarian actors in any humanitarian crisis should depend on their needs, and needs alone.  Second, on EU response, as President von der Leyen announced we have quadrupled our humanitarian funding for the occupied Palestinian territory to more than EUR 100 million. This is being rolled out as we speak, supporting our accredited partners on the ground: the United Nations, the Red Cross and Red Crescent, and international non-governmental organisations. They are distributing food and water, maintaining emergency medical services where possible, helping with mass casualty management, ensuring basic hygiene and so on. And we are continuously ramping up our European in-kind response. There have already been 15 EU humanitarian air bridge flights so far for Gaza, and more are in the pipeline. These are cargo flights for our humanitarian partners and for our Member States. President von der Leyen was on the ground in el-Arish last weekend during the unloading of one of our flights. Most of the cargo from these flights has already gone into Gaza. We have, moreover, established a joint coordination cell with the Red Cross and Red Crescent to organise and channel our assistance. In parallel, we are helping the Egyptian Red Crescent to further build up its logistical capacity and through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, we are supporting Egypt’s frontline medical response. The key challenge to repeat is access – access for humanitarian assistance into Gaza. In the first instance, this means allowing a sufficient number of trucks into Gaza through Rafah and, if possible, opening another land crossing. But we should also explore all other possible avenues for allowing additional assistance into Gaza. Ensuring adequate humanitarian access will also require putting in place urgent and extended humanitarian pauses throughout Gaza and for a sufficient number of days, as called for last week by the United Nations Security Council in its Resolution 2712, which was facilitated by Malta. We hope that the agreement on a pause of hostilities that has just been reached will allow for a substantial surge in humanitarian aid delivery into and within Gaza, and we certainly hope that this will not be a one-off.  Third, on the prospects for Gaza and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict. High Representative, we spoke about that already. Even as we respond to the immediate humanitarian challenges and do everything we can to promote respect for international humanitarian law, we need a step change in efforts to put work on a political solution to the conflict back on track. This means reinvigorating and accelerating efforts that have long been stalled towards a two state solution, as the only way forward that can offer hope to both Palestinians and Israelis. More specifically, this will require working towards a solution for Gaza as an integral part of a solution to the broader Israeli-Palestinian issue. Preventing any forcible displacement of Palestinians out of Gaza. Preventing any return of Hamas to Gaza, as well as any long term Israeli security presence in Gaza. Urgently de-escalating the situation in the West Bank, and in particular stopping the extremist settler violence, which has increased dramatically in recent weeks. And supporting a legitimate Palestinian authority in administering Gaza. There is no alternative to engaging now, if we are to break the spiral of violence, restore hope to people in Palestine and Israel, and prevent broader instability in the Middle East.