Paris and London call for “urgent humanitarian support” for Gaza

2023-10-29 14:28:00

There is, they insist, no time to lose. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron stressed, in a telephone conversation on Sunday, the need for “urgent humanitarian support to Gaza” following Israel expanded its military operations in response to Hamas attacks three weeks ago, according to Downing Street.

The two leaders also spoke of their concern over the “risk of escalation in the region”and agreed on the need to “not lose sight of the long-term future of the region, particularly the need for a two-state solution”according to a Downing Street spokesperson.

Collapse of “public order”

These statements come as this Sunday, the UN warned of the collapse of ” public order “ in the Gaza Strip. “Thousands of people entered (Saturday) several UNRWA warehouses and distribution centers in the center and south” of Gaza, said the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in a statement. “This is a worrying sign that civil order is beginning to collapse. » Ten humanitarian aid trucks were able to enter on Sunday via the Rafah crossing point with Egypt, bringing to 94 the number of these vehicles to have passed since October 21, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

For his part, Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the UN, was alarmed by a situation “more and more desperate” in Gaza. “ I regret that instead of a sorely needed humanitarian pause, supported by the international community, Israel has intensified its military operations”he said on Sunday, during a visit to Nepal, following a four-day trip to Qatar.

Making the “distinction” between Hamas and civilians

The United States, for its part, called on Israel to do the right thing. « distinction » between Hamas and Palestinian civilians. “What we believe is that every hour, every day of this military operation, the Israeli government should take every possible measure at its disposal to distinguish between Hamas – terrorists who are legitimate military targets – and the civilians who are not »declared Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser of the White House, this Sunday on CNN.

(with AFP)