Israel, Iran escalation should not lead world to forget humanitarian crisis in Gaza, West Bank: EU officials

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – The escalation between Iran and Israel should not lead the world to forget the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, two top EU officials said Wednesday.

"It is essential to avoid any further escalation in the Middle East, in particular following the attacks from Iran targeting Israel. At this crucial time, we yet again call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2728, demanding an urgent and unfettered expansion of the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza to prevent further escalation of this humanitarian crisis and the catastrophic, predictable and avoidable outcome for its population,” according to a statement by EU’s foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell and the bloc’s commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic.

Highlighting that famine threatens 1.1 million Palestinians, with 210,000 in northern Gaza alone facing imminent starvation, the statement said, “It is with the gravest dismay that we acknowledge the mounting evidence of unfolding famine in Gaza and the escalation of the humanitarian situation to a catastrophic level.”

It urged Israel to comply with its responsibility to ensure the basic needs of Palestinians in Gaza are met as dictated by international humanitarian law.

On the situation in the West Bank amid an escalation of violence by illegal Israeli settlers, it said, “We also urge Israel to address the rapidly escalating violence across the West Bank. We strongly condemn extremist settler violence and demand that all perpetrators be held accountable.”