EU commissioner calls for unhindered access for Gaza aid

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - The European commissioner for equality, preparedness, and crisis management confirmed on Monday that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has suspended aid deliveries to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing due to dangerous conditions, calling for safe and unhindered access going forward.

"It is unable to deliver and distribute in safe conditions,” Hadja Lahbib said on X.

She stressed the EU's longstanding position on the need for unhindered humanitarian access.

"The EU has consistently called for safe and unimpeded access. This is the only lifeline for millions of Palestinians under siege in Gaza," she added.

The Kerem Shalom crossing, a critical channel for humanitarian aid, has been a focal point for international relief efforts.

With the UNRWA unable to operate safely, the delivery of essential supplies, including food, medicine, and clean water, remains at a standstill.

Israel launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack in October 2023, so far killing more than 44,400 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 105,000.

The second year of the genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions labeling the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries a deliberate attempt to destroy the population.

On Nov. 21, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.