HAMILTON, Canada
European envoys on the UN Security Council emphasized the urgent need Wednesday for unhindered humanitarian aid access to the Gaza Strip.
"We call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and to allow and facilitate the safe, unconditional, massive and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid at scale," said French deputy envoy Jay Dharmadhikari at a news conference after a closed session on Gaza by the Council, alongside the UN ambassadors of Denmark, Greece, Slovenia and the UK.
Echoing Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' call at the Arab summit in Cairo, Dharmadhikari highlighted the necessity for Israel to ensure the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers, in accordance with international humanitarian law.
"All relevant Security Council resolutions must be implemented, including resolution 2720 and 2735," he added. Those resolutions demand the protection of civilians and the full delivery of humanitarian aid into the enclave.
He stressed that "the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in need is non-negotiable under international humanitarian law."
Calling for progress on the next phases of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, the French envoy praised the efforts of Egypt, Qatar, and the US in facilitating ceasefire talks.
"We need a permanent ceasefire that can pave the way for the release of all remaining hostages and for the reconstruction of Gaza," he said.
Hailing regional efforts to develop a unified plan for Gaza's future, Dharmadhikari, however, stressed that any plan must exclude Hamas, ensure Israel's security and support the unity of the occupied West Bank and Gaza under the mandate of the Palestinian Authority.
"We reiterate our unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-state solution, where two Democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders consistent with international law and relevant UN resolutions," he noted.
Israel on Sunday decided to halt aid shipments, hours after the first phase of the ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement between Hamas and Tel Aviv expired.
The first six-week phase of the agreement, which took effect in late January, officially ended at midnight Saturday.
Israel, however, has not agreed to move forward to the second phase of the deal to permanently end the war in Gaza which has killed more than 48,000 victims, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his 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 war on the enclave.