Despite ceasefire, Israel has continued its violations across Gaza, including blocking aid deliveries and restricting humanitarian agencies, with the Ministry of Health in Gaza reporting that 394 Palestinians have been killed, 1,075 injured, and 634 bodies recovered from beneath the rubble.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza remains alarmingly severe as winter conditions worsen, leaving millions vulnerable and in urgent need of aid.
Foreign ministers from Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement on Tuesday expressing deep concern over the ongoing deterioration of living conditions in Palestine.
“We express serious concerns about the renewed deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza which remains catastrophic,” the statement read, highlighting the challenges faced by civilians as temperatures drop and heavy rains batter the territory.
The ministers emphasised that more than 1.3 million people urgently require shelter support, while over half of Gaza’s health facilities operate only partially and struggle with critical shortages of medical equipment and supplies.
The collapse of sanitation infrastructure has left some 740,000 residents exposed to toxic flooding. According to the latest report from the IPC on December 19, around 1.6 million people in Gaza continue to experience high levels of acute food insecurity, despite some improvements in food access following the October ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The joint statement called on Israel to allow international non-governmental organisations to operate in Gaza predictably and sustainably. Ministers warned that many INGOs (International Non-Governmental Organisations) face potential de-registration under new Israeli regulations, which could force the closure of essential services, including healthcare, affecting one in three medical facilities.
The INGOs, working alongside the UN and Palestinian organisations, collectively provide roughly $1 billion in aid annually across Palestine, a support network deemed indispensable by the ministers.
In addition to operational support for INGOs, the statement urged Israel to lift restrictions on imports of medical and shelter supplies and to expand humanitarian access through border crossings.
While the partial opening of the Allenby crossing was welcomed, other routes, including Rafah, remain limited, restricting the delivery of crucial aid and delaying reconstruction efforts. Bureaucratic processes and extensive screenings have further slowed aid distribution, with commercial cargo facing fewer restrictions than humanitarian shipments.
Meanwhile, local officials in Gaza have raised alarms over emerging health risks. Bassam Zaqout, director of medical relief in Gaza, warned of leptospirosis spreading among displaced populations living in tents, noting that local laboratories lack the capacity to test suspected cases.
The Palestinian government also reported efforts to remove unexploded ordnance, with over 20,000 bombs still posing severe threats to civilians, though Israeli authorities have yet to allow the entry of necessary equipment for clearance operations.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded to the joint statement, calling it “false but unsurprising” and “part of a recurring pattern of detached criticism and one-sided demands on Israel, while deliberately ignoring the essential requirement of disarming Hamas.”
“The statement blatantly ignores the significant improvement in the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire came into effect,” the ministry said in a statement posted on X.
However, humanitarian agencies in Gaza continue to report that critical supplies, particularly medical and shelter items, are still being blocked by Israeli occupation from entering the territory.
In addition, Israel is suspending 37 aid groups‘ operations in Gaza starting on January 1, Israeli authorities announced on Tuesday.
The organisations include Doctors Without Borders (MSF), and Oxfam. Israel alleged they failed to meet its new rules for aid groups working in the Gaza Strip.
In addition to blocking aid from entering Gaza, Israel’s violations continue despite the announced ceasefire, with the Ministry of Health in Gaza reporting that 394 Palestinians have been killed, 1,075 injured, and 634 bodies recovered from beneath the rubble.
