Italy, UK, Canada and Australia urge Israel to open Gaza to immediate aid access

A joint call to Israel

On Sunday, 15 November, the foreign ministers of Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia issued a joint statement calling on Israel to give aid agencies immediate, rapid and unhindered access across the Gaza Strip. Italy's Antonio Tajani signed the declaration, which the Italian foreign ministry released. The ministers asked Israel to end delays, reopen the crossings and let tents enter, and they urged all parties to carry out the Plan for peace for Gaza while respecting the ceasefire and international humanitarian law. The statement says 150,000 tents and other essential goods are being held at the border and cannot get into Gaza. It also asks that dual-use goods needed for humanitarian operations and early recovery be allowed in before it is too late.

Floods on a battered territory

Heavy rain hit the Strip mainly on 7 and 8 November, flooding displaced people's camps and destroying makeshift shelters. Preliminary UN estimates put the number of people affected at about 226,000, with more than 40,000 shelters damaged and more than 9,000 makeshift homes destroyed. Years of conflict have damaged drainage and sewage networks, leaving most residents in tents or unsafe buildings. The World Health Organization warned of rising respiratory infections and diseases linked to contaminated water. Palestinian rescue services reported five deaths in the rains, including three children.

People affected226,000

Shelters damaged (more than)40,000

Makeshift structures destroyed (more than)9,000

People affected

226000 count

Shelters damaged (more than)

40000 count

Makeshift structures destroyed (more than)

9000 count

Data from the article text

The EU response and disputed figures

On Saturday, 14 November, the European Union called on Israel to allow urgent access for humanitarian organisations and the entry of goods. The EU said that military attacks continue a year after the ceasefire was announced, and it pointed to shortages of shelter, medicine and medical equipment caused by current access restrictions. It put the number of displaced Palestinians in Gaza at about 1.7 million, living in shelters, tents or ruined homes. The EU statement followed a letter on Friday, 13 November, in which more than 50 countries and organisations demanded more essential goods. The Board of Peace, created by Donald Trump, has criticised Israel's response as insufficient. COGAT, Israel's body for civil affairs in the territories, said more than 93,000 tents and 8,600 trucks carrying winter material had entered Gaza, a figure that sits uneasily with the 150,000 tents the ministers say are blocked.

Deaths and fragile infrastructure

A dune collapsed onto a tent in which three children and their mother were sheltering, killing all four, according to UNICEF. UNICEF's executive director, Catherine Russell, said the children died because they had no safe place to sleep and warned that the worst of winter is still to come. Reporting by Al Jazeera showed that the rain also puts at risk makeshift infrastructure, from shelters to the electricity network and basic sanitation, much of which was already damaged.

Timeline of the appeal

The sequence starts with the rains of 7 and 8 November and moves to the EU's call on Saturday, 14 November. The four ministers issued their joint statement the following day, Sunday, 15 November.

The ministers' document says the recent floods were only the first storm of the winter season and that the situation can still be reversed before winter fully sets in. Their call covers crossings, tents, dual-use goods and compliance with the ceasefire. The sources do not describe any response from Israel to the joint statement.