Jordan FM says Gaza aid is expiring in warehouses as Israel restricts entry

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Monday that humanitarian aid intended for the Gaza Strip was expiring in warehouses because Israel was preventing it from entering the territory, and called for greater international action to enforce humanitarian law.

Safadi made the remarks during a seminar in New York focused on humanitarian diplomacy and upholding international humanitarian law, according to a statement from Jordan’s Foreign Ministry.

The event was organized by the European Union and Ireland and co-sponsored by Jordan, the African Union, Brazil and Canada.

Safadi said more than two million Palestinians in Gaza continued to face severe deprivation and humanitarian suffering, arguing that the international community had failed to make effective use of mechanisms available under international law.

He said Gaza’s population was being deprived of food and medicine “not due to a lack of available aid, but because Israel prevents its entry.”

The Jordanian foreign minister added that humanitarian supplies intended for Gaza were “expiring in warehouses” because of restrictions on their entry.

Safadi said Jordan had previously served as a major hub for international humanitarian assistance destined for Gaza and reiterated the kingdom’s readiness to cooperate with international partners to facilitate an effective humanitarian response.

He called on governments and international institutions to make greater use of legal mechanisms intended to address violations of international humanitarian law, both in Gaza and in other conflicts around the world.

Safadi also emphasized the need for accountability for violations of international law and warned against the international community becoming accustomed or desensitized to breaches of humanitarian norms.