Quartet statement calling on Israel to allow aid to reach Gaza immediately

On Sunday, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, and Australia called on Israel to allow immediate and unhindered access of aid to the Gaza Strip, in light of the extremely bad humanitarian situation on the ground, according to a joint statement. The statement stated that with the advent of winter, the people of Gaza are in dire need of shelter and humanitarian aid, at a time when “150,000 tents and other vital supplies are stuck on the border, and their entry into Gaza is prohibited.”

The statement indicated that this situation can be completely reversed before winter takes hold completely. The countries called on Israel to “allow immediate, rapid and unimpeded aid access to all parts of Gaza.”

The crossings must be reopened, and tents allowed to enter. “Dual-use items needed for humanitarian operations and early recovery must also be allowed in before it is too late.”

The statement also called on all parties to "implement the comprehensive plan for the Gaza Strip, respect the ceasefire, fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law, and allow aid to reach those who need it." According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 1,600 people have been killed as a result of almost daily Israeli raids in the Gaza Strip since the signing of the ceasefire agreement a year ago.

Last week, monsoon rains flooded tens of thousands of tents across the Gaza Strip, where some two million Palestinians remain displaced. Israel stated that more than 91,000 tents entered the Gaza Strip in preparation for the winter, but it refused to allow the entry of heavy equipment necessary for large-scale cleaning and rubble removal operations.

The coordinator of Israeli government activities in the Palestinian territories said: “The reconstruction of Gaza cannot begin until the Hamas movement is completely disarmed.”