The war between Israel and Gaza, live | 20 Gazans die and some 155 are injured in an Israeli attack prior to the distribution of aid |

Senior officials from the US, EU and four other countries urge Israel to open avenues for aid to enter Gaza

Senior officials from the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar held a telematic meeting this Wednesday in which they urged Israel to open avenues so that aid to the Gaza Strip can enter by land.

The meeting focused on the maritime corridor to Gaza that these countries want to establish and, at the end, the parties issued a statement released by the US State Department.

In the statement, they agree that “there is no substitute for land routes via Egypt and Jordan, and entry points from Israel to Gaza for the delivery of large-scale aid” and underline “the need for Israel to open additional crossings to so that more aid can reach Gaza, including the north.

They also called on Israel to ease customs restrictions to facilitate a greater flow of food and humanitarian assistance.

Regarding the corridor, they discussed logistical and financial issues, the statement details.

For the logisticians, they agreed that the week of March 18 there will be meetings in Cyprus to define the next steps and for the corridor to be fully operational, including the efforts of the US Armed Forces to establish a temporary port that will receive large amounts of aid. .

Regarding financial matters, they will study creating a common fund that supports the maritime corridor and coordinates contributions for its maintenance.

In any case, during the meeting the parties reaffirmed that this maritime corridor “can and should be” part of a sustained effort to increase the flow of humanitarian aid and food to Gaza by all possible means, including airdrops of supplies. and the opening of more land routes.

Since the war in Gaza began on October 7, following the Palestinian group Hamas’ attack on Israel, at least 25 young children have died from malnutrition and dehydration, a condition that threatens the 335,000 children in the Palestinian enclave.

According to the UN Humanitarian Coordination Office, reports of children dying or threatened with death from acute malnutrition increase every day, a more serious situation in northern Gaza, where the entry of food aid is completely blocked by Israel.

In recognition that a critical point has been reached, a joint mission of the Spanish NGOs Open Arms and World Central Kitchen (WCK) left Cyprus yesterday, Tuesday, opening the first humanitarian maritime corridor towards the enclave to alleviate the consequences of the scarce help that Israel allows to enter by land.

However, several NGOs around the world, including Doctors of the World, Oxfam and Amnesty , have warned that there is no substitute for the entry of food and other humanitarian supplies by land.