53 countries, organizations urge Israel to allow rapid humanitarian access to Gaza

A group of 53 countries and organizations, including Turkiye, urged Israel on Thursday to allow rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access into the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports.

Sarah MacIntosh, the UK’s permanent representative to the UN, delivered a statement on behalf of the co-signatories of the Gaza Call to Action on Humanitarian Access and Health, led by the UK, Qatar and Jordan.

“The comprehensive peace plan, endorsed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803, provides for the immediate entry into Gaza of full humanitarian assistance at levels no lower than those agreed on 19 January 2025. This has not yet been realized,” MacIntosh said at a news conference at UN headquarters.

She noted that since the October 2025 ceasefire, “progress to improve the humanitarian situation is possible when political will allows,” but said that “as winter sets in, far too many people in Gaza are still without adequate shelter and risk exposure to hypothermia, respiratory infections, waterborne diseases, and other preventable illnesses.”

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“Following elections in Israel, we reiterate our call to the incoming government of Israel to allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Gaza and through all available crossings and land routes,” she said.

MacIntosh urged Israel to restore “the medical referral pathway to hospitals in East Jerusalem and the West Bank,” to “open and expedite transparent criminal investigations into attacks against healthcare and humanitarian workers,” and to “allow senior international delegations and journalists to access Gaza.”

Pledging support for relief efforts, she said: “The countries gathered here today commit to supporting humanitarian efforts in Gaza by providing support for urgent winterisation preparation efforts, including shelter, water, sanitation, and health supplies to reduce suffering and to mitigate public health risks.”

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