A joint statement by E3 nations United Kingdom, France, and Germany has sparked a new row with Israel after it said: “Humanitarian aid must never be used as a political tool.”
The statement, signed by David Lammy, along with the two other nations’ foreign ministers, demands the immediate resumption of aid deliveries to the Strip.
It also criticises comments on the issue by Defense Minister Israel Katz who last week said that Israel has no intention of allowing humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip until a “civilian” mechanism is established to bypass Hamas’s control of supplies, and that the IDF would remain in buffer zones “in any temporary or permanent reality in Gaza” to protect nearby Israeli communities.
In a post on X Lammy wrote:”For over 50 days, Israel has fully blocked humanitarian aid to Gaza. This is completely unacceptable.
“Vital supplies are running out and Palestinians risk facing starvation. With France and Germany, we urge Israel to immediately restart the flow of aid.”
“Humanitarian aid must never be used as a political tool,” added the E3 statement, which marks today as the 50th day since Israel imposed a total blockade on aid entering the Strip after the collapse of a ceasefire with the Hamas terror group.
“Humanitarians must be able to deliver aid to those who need it most, independent of parties to the conflict and in accordance with their humanitarian principles,” it continues, declaring that “Israel must ensure unhindered access for the UN and humanitarian organizations to operate safely across Gaza.”
E3 statement on Gaza aid
“Hamas must not divert aid for their own financial gain or use civilian infrastructure for military purposes,” it adds.
It also calls for Israel to do more to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza, along with a demand for Hamas to release the remaining 59 hostages, and for all parties to return to a ceasefire.
But responding on Wednesday, Israel’s foreign ministry said:“Israel is fighting Hamas, which steals humanitarian aid, uses it to rebuild its war machine, and hides behind civilians.”
It adds that it “categorically reject[s] the claim of ‘politicization of humanitarian aid’ as stated in the E3’s statement.”
“Article 70 of the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions requires aid when ‘the civilian population is not adequately supplied,’” continues the statement from the Foreign Ministry, adding, “During the 42-day ceasefire, 25,000 aid trucks entered Gaza. Israel is monitoring the situation on the ground, and there is no shortage of aid in Gaza.”
David Lammy and French counterpart with Israel’s Yisrael Katz during August visit
It says that instead of mentioning that “Hamas is the one targeting Israeli civilians while hiding behind Palestinian civilians,” the E3 countries “chose to accuse Israel of strikes on humanitarian personnel and healthcare facilities — this is morally twisted and wrong.”
The Foreign Ministry asserts that the IDF “conducts thorough and transparent investigations” in cases involving civilian casualties, and says that “all condemnations should be directed at Hamas, which hides in hospitals and behind civilians.”
“The so-called balance the E3 statement is trying to create between Israel and Hamas is ethically outrageous,” the response adds, saying that the countries mention “only in passing the fact that Hamas still holds 59 hostages in inhumane conditions underground.
“The war can end tomorrow if the hostages are released and Hamas lays down its weapons.”
