EU welcomes UN Security Council resolution on Gaza aid

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - The European Union welcomed a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution Friday that called for more aid and better access to the Gaza Strip.

"I welcome the UNSC resolution calling for swift, safe and scaled up aid delivery to the people of Gaza and for laying the groundwork for a cessation of hostilities," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X.

The Commission is working with partners in the region and beyond “to address the humanitarian emergency and prepare the day after, already today," she said.

The bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he commended the UN effort for bringing the resolution and calling on the parties to respect their legal obligations and ensuring implementation.

"The adoption of the #UNSC resolution on scaling up humanitarian assistance in #Gaza is crucial first & foremost for the civilians on the ground," he wrote on X.

Borrell said he spoke with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to assure him of the EU’s "steadfast support" for the UN's role in providing assistance to civilians in Gaza.

"I welcome the emphasis on the need to respect IHL (international humanitarian law) & move towards a sustainable cessation of hostilities," he added.

Following delays this week, 13 UNSC member states voted in favor of the resolution, while the US and Russia abstained.

Since Oct. 7, the Israeli army has been waging a destructive war on Gaza, resulting in 20,057 deaths and 53,320 wounded, most of them children and women. It has caused immense damage to infrastructure and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, according to Palestinian and international sources.