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Thank you, Chairs.

The European Union and its Member States share the briefers’ deep concerns about the devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The situation for civilians is alarming. We commend the Security Council for agreeing on a resolution this Wednesday, which specifically calls for international humanitarian law compliance by all parties, humanitarian pauses, and protection of civilians, especially children.

We offer our sincere condolences to families of  Palestinians, Israelis, and UN staff who have been killed, injured, or held hostage during this time. We deplore the killing of humanitarian and medical personnel, including 103 UNRWA staff, at last count.

The European Union reiterates its condemnation in the strongest possible terms of Hamas for its indiscriminate terrorist attacks across Israel. We also reiterate our call on Hamas to immediately release all hostages, without any preconditions.  The EU re-emphasizes Israel’s right to defend itself in line with international law and international humanitarian law. The EU is ready to contribute to reviving a political process on the basis of the two-state solution, including through the Peace Day Effort, and welcomes diplomatic peace and security initiatives and supports the holding of an international peace conference soon.

We reiterate the importance of ensuring the protection of all civilians at all times, in line with international humanitarian law. The EU condemns the use of hospitals and civilians as human shields by Hamas. Civilians must be allowed to leave the combat zone. These hostilities are severely impacting hospitals and taking a horrific toll on civilians and medical staff. The EU emphasizes that international humanitarian law stipulates that hospitals, medical supplies and civilians inside hospitals must be protected. Hospitals must also be supplied immediately with the most urgent medical supplies and patients that require urgent medical care need to be evacuated safely. In this context, we urge Israel to exercise maximum restraint to ensure the protection of civilians. The fundamental IHL principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution must be complied with in all military action.

Humanitarian and medical workers must be able to do their work, which is to deliver life-saving assistance. As winter approaches, humanitarian access at the appropriate scale to meet humanitarian need is even more urgent. IHL requires parties to allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid for civilians in need. In this regard, we welcome the results of the November 9 humanitarian conference in held in Paris. All parties must also ensure the safety and security of humanitarian and medical staff, and cooperate with the UN, International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and humanitarian partners to ensure the timely delivery of relief supplies to civilians, wherever they are.

 The EU joins calls for immediate pauses in hostilities and the establishment of humanitarian corridors, including through increased capacity at border crossings and through a dedicated maritime route, so that  humanitarian aid can safely reach the population in Gaza. We also call for rapid, safe, sustained and unhindered humanitarian access, into and within Gaza, and urge the parties to cooperate with the UN, International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and humanitarian partners in this regard. We also call for parties to allow and facilitate access by the ICRC to hostages, as this is an essential part of their mandate as an independent, neutral organization dedicated to ensuring humanitarian protection and assistance for victims of armed conflict. 

The EU  and its member states will continue to work closely with international partners, the UN and other agencies as well as countries in the region to provide a sustained flow of assistance and facilitate access to food, water, medical care, fuel and shelter, ensuring that it only reaches civilians in need.

The European Union has again increased our aid to Gaza, bringing the total to over 100 million Euros for this year. EU Member States have also significantly increased their assistance. We launched an EU Humanitarian Air Bridge operation, with several flights to Egypt to bring life-saving supplies to humanitarian organisations on the ground in Gaza. As a long-standing humanitarian donor, the EU will continue to cooperate closely with the UN and humanitarian partners in the region, in line with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.

Thank you.