EU ready to support UN efforts to open humanitarian corridors to Gaza

BRUSSELS

Backing the UN’s call, the European Commission said on Friday that the EU is ready to push for the opening of humanitarian corridors to Gaza.

Speaking at the European Commission’s daily news briefing, chief spokesperson Eric Mamer confirmed that the EU shares a “worry about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, in particular due to the shortages of water, food, medical supplies, fuel and electricity.”

“The EU supports the call by UN Secretary-General (Antonio) Guterres, and is ready to support UN efforts to help alleviate the situation,” Mamer asserted.

It includes “encouraging the creation of humanitarian corridors and allowing deliveries of much-needed humanitarian aid,” he explained.

He repeated the EU’s condemnation of “the violent and indiscriminate terrorist attacks across Israel by Hamas,” and underlined that “Israel has the right to defend itself in line with international humanitarian law.”

At the same time, he stressed that civilians must be “pre-warned and alerted about incoming military operations, allowing them to leave and this is what Israel has done.”

He also noted that these moves should avoid “strong humanitarian consequences.”

“Hamas should not stop people from leaving and should not use them as human shields,” Mamer further said.

In a dramatic escalation of Middle East tensions, Israeli forces launched a sustained and forceful military campaign against the Gaza Strip, a response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territories.

The conflict began last Saturday when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air.

Hamas said the operation was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.

Israel's response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening the living conditions in an area that has reeled under a crippling siege since 2007.