Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and Italy have urged Israel to allow critical humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, describing the situation on the ground as “dire”.
The four countries released a joint statement on Monday morning, urging Israel to allow ۱۵۰,۰۰۰ tents and other vital supplies being held at the border into Gaza ahead of winter.
“We, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, Italy and the United Kingdom, are clear that as winter takes hold in Gaza, the humanitarian situation on the ground is dire,” the statement said.
“The recent floods have brought further suffering – and this was only the first storm of the winter. People in Gaza desperately need shelter and humanitarian assistance.”
The ministers said Israel has time to act “before the winter fully sets in”.
“This situation is entirely reversible … we today urge the government of Israel to stop the delays now and allow immediate, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Gaza,” the foreign ministers said.
“The crossings must be opened, and the tents allowed in. Dual-use items necessary for humanitarian operations and early recovery must be granted entry before it is too late.”
Tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza have been left in waterlogged and damaged tents after deadly storms in the past week. Thousands more have been left without shelter while sanitation infrastructure has also been destroyed by storms.
At least four Palestinian children and woman were killed as heavy rains and wind battered fragile, leaky tents.
Australia’s Greens leader and foreign affairs spokesperson, David Shoebridge, said “harsh words” from the government would do little, and that the government should instead take more concrete action.
“The Israeli Government has not responded to harsh words from Australia before, they won’t now. Material action, sanctions on the war cabinet, ending the two-way arms trade, implementing sanctions on illegal settlements as other nations have done. These are real actions the Albanese Government can take but has failed to,” Shoebridge said.
Shoebridge said Australia previously refused to join commitments by multiple allies including the UK that called for import bans on trade from illegal Israeli settlements.
“When it was a statement committing to material action, Australia disappeared,” Shoebridge said.
The foreign ministers urged all parties to implement the comprehensive plan for Gaza, respect the ceasefire and “their obligations under international humanitarian law, and allowing aid to reach the people who need it.”
On Monday, Australian cabinet minister Madeleine King told ABC radio the four nations had worked on the statement.
“This particular group has been working on this kind of statement for a little while to make sure that people that are affected by the war in the Middle East can receive the assistance they need,” she said.
“But, really importantly … is the fact that this humanitarian aid will be able to be delivered.”
