Israel agrees to “expand” Gaza aid access, EU says

The EU reached an agreement with Israel on July 10th to improve humanitarian aid access to Gaza, allowing more food trucks and additional crossing points, The New Arab via AFP reported.

“Today, we reached an agreement with Israel to expand humanitarian access to Gaza,” European Union foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said.

“This deal means more crossings open, aid and food trucks entering Gaza, repair of vital infrastructure and protection of aid workers. We count on Israel to implement every measure agreed,” Kallas continued. 

With Israel imposing tight restrictions on aid during its offensive, Gaza’s two million residents are suffering with increasingly dire humanitarian conditions.

In a statement, Kallas said that the measures agreed by Israel will come into effect in the coming days, with the priority of delivering aid to the population being the general consensus in discussions. 

She went on to say that steps included a “substantial increase of daily trucks of food and non- food items” entering Gaza, alongside opening crossing points in the north and south of Gaza, as well as the reopening of routes from Jordan and Egypt. 

She said that the stance of the EU was one of readiness to join forces with all relevant humanitarian stakeholders, UN agencies and NGOs to guarantee the rapid execution of these critical measures. 

The move comes as Israel and Hamas continue negotiations over a U.S.-backed ceasefire aimed at ending the war.

The EU has been considering possible actions against Israel after concluding it violated a cooperation agreement between the two sides due to its conduct in Gaza.

However, the 27-member bloc has struggled to agree on a response, split between strong supporters of Israel and nations aligned with the Palestinian cause.

Previously, the EU made a statement. It said “the EU will actively contribute to a coordinated international effort to early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza”, as reported by Maghrebi on February 24th and The Arab Weekly plus agencies on February 18th. 

The statement went on to say: “The EU deeply deplores the unacceptable number of civilians, especially women and children, who have lost their lives, and the catastrophic humanitarian situation notably caused by the insufficient entry of aid into Gaza, in particular in the North.”

Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 57,680 people in Gaza, most of which are civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. The United Nations considers the figures credible.

The New Arab via AFP, Maghrebi.org via The Arab Weekly plus agencies