France, the United Kingdom and Germany on Wednesday urged Israel to ensure the “unhindered” delivery of humanitarian supplies to Gaza, warning against using aid as a “political tool.”
In a statement on X, the Foreign Ministry clapped back at the countries, saying there is plenty of aid in Gaza and that Hamas often uses it to rebuild its terrorist infrastructure.
A ceasefire since January 19 saw an influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza, before Israel on Sunday announced it was blocking deliveries over what it called Hamas’s refusal to accept a proposal to extend the expiring initial stage of the ceasefire and hostage release deal.
“We call on the government of Israel to abide by its international obligations to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza,” the European countries said in a joint statement.
“A halt on goods and supplies entering Gaza such as that announced by the government of Israel would risk violating international humanitarian law,” they said.
“Humanitarian aid should never be contingent on a ceasefire or used as a political tool.”
Trucks carrying humanitarian aid line up on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip on March 2, 2025. (AFP)
The three European nations described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “catastrophic.”
In its response, the Foreign Ministry noted that 25,000 aid trucks entered Gaza during the ceasefire’s first phase.
“There is no shortage of essential products in the Strip whatsoever,” it wrote on X. “The only humanitarian suffering in Gaza is that of the Israeli hostages, who are being chained, starved, and held in Hamas’ tunnels.”
A member of security forces loyal to Hamas stands guard atop a truck carrying humanitarian aid coming in from the Kerem Shalom Crossing, near Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, on January 21, 2025. (Bashar Taleb/AFP)
The Foreign Ministry also said much of the aid is being exploited by Hamas to rebuild militarily, and that a large portion of the terror organization’s budget comes from trucks carrying these supplies.
“Aid that goes to Hamas is not humanitarian,” the statement added. “Enabling the enemy to resupply itself so it can regroup and attack you again is not humanitarian – it is suicidal and will not be allowed.”
The Foreign Ministry also said Israel accepted what it has described US envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire and hostage release deal through Ramadan and Passover, which Hamas has rejected.
The first, 42-day stage of the deal expired on Saturday night. According to the terms of the phased agreement that went into effect on January 19, Israel and Hamas were supposed to have begun holding negotiations regarding the terms of the second phase on the 16th day of the deal, February 3.
Israel has largely held off on holding those negotiations, as phase two ultimately requires that in exchange for the remaining living hostages, Israel fully withdraw from Gaza and permanently end the war — something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he would not accept before Hamas has been fully dismantled.
During the first phase, 33 Israeli hostages were released, eight of them dead, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including many convicted terrorists serving hefty jail sentences. Five Thai nationals held hostage in the Gaza Strip were freed separately.
“It is vital that the ceasefire is sustained, all the hostages are released, and continued flows of humanitarian aid to Gaza are ensured,” the three European nations said.
“All hostages must be unconditionally released and Hamas must end their degrading and humiliating treatment,” they added.
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