Statement on the situation in Gaza

Nineteen months after the outbreak of the armed conflict in Gaza — triggered by the terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel on 7 October 2023 — the humanitarian situation in the Gaza strip remains catastrophic.

Civilians continue to be the primary victims, with many Israeli hostages still in captivity.

I am deeply concerned about fatalities resulting from lack of access to aid, including credible reports of the tragic deaths of civilians, killed while attempting to access basic necessities like water.

Recent Israeli airstrikes have continued to cause increasingly significant civilian casualties and extensive damage to homes, shelters, and hospitals. Fuel shortages now threaten critical services, including healthcare, sanitation, and food distribution.

The scale and persistence of the Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip are unacceptable. Reports about plans for mass displacement, forced relocation, or even more dire options being considered are unequivocally horrifying. Any viable two-state solution is increasingly undermined by these actions.

The EESC urgently calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages, and a substantial increase in the humanitarian aid, following the recent EU-brokered agreement to deliver essential relief and restore a measure of hope to the people of Gaza.