Saudi Arabia and seven other countries warn of a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and call for immediate intervention
The foreign ministers of eight Islamic and Arab countries, led by Saudi Arabia, issued a strongly worded joint statement expressing their deep concern and condemnation of the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. The statement was signed by Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt.
This intensified diplomatic effort comes at a time when the sector is facing harsh climatic conditions, as heavy rains and winter storms have exacerbated the suffering of the displaced, coinciding with the continued suffocating siege imposed by the Israeli occupation, which has led to a severe shortage of basic life-saving supplies.
A harsh winter amidst the rubble of war
The ministers highlighted the compounded crisis facing Gaza's residents, where harsh weather conditions have exposed the precarious humanitarian situation of nearly 1.9 million displaced Palestinians. Thousands of families are living in dilapidated tents and inadequate shelters that offer no protection from the cold or rain, further increasing the risk of collapse of buildings already damaged by the bombing.
Field reports and known facts about the infrastructure in Gaza indicate that the destruction of sewage and water networks has turned displacement areas into hotspots for epidemics, especially with the drop in temperatures, threatening the lives of the most vulnerable groups such as children, women, the elderly, and those with chronic diseases who face the risk of death not only because of the bombing, but also because of the cold, malnutrition, and lack of medical care.
Legal and international responsibility
In the context of assigning responsibility, the ministers called on Israel—as the occupying power under international law—to fulfill its legal and moral obligations. The statement stressed the urgent need to lift restrictions immediately on the entry of aid, including tents, shelter materials, and fuel necessary for the operation of hospitals and water stations.
The eight countries affirmed that the policy of starvation and the deliberate obstruction of humanitarian organizations' work constitute a flagrant violation of international conventions. In this regard, the ministers commended the heroic role played by UN agencies, particularly the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and called for guarantees of their operational independence and the protection of their staff from any targeting or harassment.
Supporting the political process and UN resolutions
Politically, the ministers reiterated their full support for Security Council Resolution 2735, stressing the need to adhere to the comprehensive plan aimed at achieving a permanent ceasefire. The statement called on the international community to exert real pressure to implement the prisoner exchange agreement and ensure the unimpeded flow of aid, as essential first steps to ending the tragedy.
The statement concluded by emphasizing that temporary solutions are no longer effective, stressing the need to move forward with a credible political path that leads to enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and establish their independent state, as this is the only guarantee for achieving sustainable stability in the region and ending the cycle of violence.
