Urgent Appeal for Enhanced Humanitarian Access and Health Support in Gaza

We reaffirm our dedication to the execution of UN Security Council Resolution 2803, as well as to the long-term recovery, reconstruction, and peace in Gaza, facilitated by the efforts of the Palestinian Authority, the Board of Peace, and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).

It is important to note that the Comprehensive Plan ratified by UN Security Council Resolution 2803 mandates the immediate provision of comprehensive humanitarian assistance at levels no lower than those agreed upon on 19 January 2025. This includes the rehabilitation of essential services such as water supply, electricity, sewage systems, hospitals, and bakeries, as well as the introduction of equipment necessary for debris removal and road clearance. Moreover, it stipulates that humanitarian aid must be delivered without obstruction through the United Nations and its agencies, the Red Crescent Movement, and other impartial international humanitarian organisations. The time has come for these commitments to be fully realised without further delay.

Urgent Humanitarian Needs in Gaza

As we approach the one-year mark since the ceasefire, it is evident that significant progress in improving the humanitarian situation is achievable when there is the political will to do so. Nevertheless, urgent and fundamental humanitarian needs remain, necessitating immediate action. This includes the provision of adequate healthcare and public health measures. The health sector in Gaza has been severely compromised, with no fully operational hospitals and a pervasive shortage of fuel and essential equipment. Intermittent medical supplies and medications have left many individuals with chronic illnesses inadequately treated. At least 43,000 people are living with life-altering disabilities without access to specialised care, prosthetics, and rehabilitation services. Since the beginning of 2023, there have been over 920 attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel, resulting in more than 1,700 health workers losing their lives. Many others are detained and have faced severe mistreatment.

The decline of the health sector underscores a broader systemic collapse within Gaza. As winter approaches, the lack of sufficient shelter, water, sanitation, and health services is poised to worsen health outcomes, exacerbate disease outbreaks, and potentially lead to environmental contamination that could easily spread. The primary obstacle to establishing a functional health service is the Government of Israel’s restrictions on the free and unimpeded entry of aid at a scale necessary for recovery, alongside the shortage of construction materials needed to restore health facilities. This stagnation hampers both immediate humanitarian efforts and long-term recovery initiatives.

Commitments to Support Humanitarian Efforts

We pledge to:

• Provide support for urgent winterisation preparations, encompassing shelter, water, sanitation, and health supplies, in order to alleviate suffering and reduce public health risks.
• Assist the Palestinian Authority, in collaboration with the transitional NCAG, the United Nations, and other humanitarian partners, to restore essential health services and rehabilitate health infrastructure. Such support must bolster unified Palestinian institutions as part of a pathway towards a two-state solution and must not create parallel structures or deepen the political or administrative separation of Gaza from the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
• Reaffirm the crucial role of the United Nations and its agencies, the Red Crescent Movement, and other impartial international humanitarian organisations in providing humanitarian assistance, as outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2803. This includes UNRWA, which remains an essential provider of vital services across Palestine and the wider region.

Call for Action from the Government of Israel

We urge the Government of Israel to:

• Facilitate rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Gaza, utilising all available crossings and land routes; expand crossing capacity and operating hours; eliminate unpredictable and arbitrary quotas, delays, and additional bureaucratic layers that hinder aid delivery and inflate costs; and ensure the safe movement of humanitarian personnel and supplies within Gaza.
• Support the full and predictable operation of the Egyptian and Jordanian humanitarian corridor, guaranteeing adequate daily convoy slots, expedited inspections, and uninterrupted transit through the relevant crossings.
• Approve the entry of additional critical items, including those classified as “dual-use,” particularly relating to shelter, fuel, water, sanitation, and health supplies, to prevent further deterioration of public health. Timely approvals from Israel via the UN2720 mechanism are essential, and given the severity of the humanitarian crisis, the threshold for refusals must be exceptionally high, in line with the Geneva Conventions, which mandate the free passage of essential medical supplies.
• Restore the medical referral pathway to hospitals in East Jerusalem and the West Bank for individuals with conditions that cannot be adequately treated in Gaza.
• Ensure the protection of healthcare workers, healthcare facilities, and medical transport in accordance with international humanitarian law and UN Security Council Resolution 2286, while providing due process and appropriate access for detained healthcare personnel, including access for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
• Safeguard all notified humanitarian sites and guarantee protection for humanitarian and civilian personnel and infrastructure.
• Initiate and expedite transparent criminal investigations into attacks against healthcare and humanitarian workers.
• Permit senior international delegations and journalists to access Gaza. Given that the ceasefire has now been in effect for nearly a year, and as efforts continue to fulfil commitments under UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and the 20 Point Plan, the presence of diplomats and journalists will help clarify the situation on the ground.

This appeal for action is supported by Australia, Denmark, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom.