BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union renewed an urgent call on Wednesday for Israel to immediately lift the blockade on Gaza, allowing humanitarian aid to reach those in need, and warned against Israel’s planned new aid delivery mechanism.
“As the occupying power, Israel is obliged under international law to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches the population in need,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib, and Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica in a joint statement.
The statement also urged a ceasefire and the immediate release of hostages, while expressing concern over a new aid delivery system approved by Israel on May 4. The statement said the new system undermined humanitarian principles by outsourcing aid distribution to non-humanitarian actors and private security firms — a move criticized by the U.N. and aid groups.
(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout, Editing by William Maclean)
