During a visit by the H H Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Paris, Qatar and France launched a joint initiative to deliver humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian people in Gaza.
HH the Amir held official talks with President of the French Republic H E Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace yesterday and they also witnessed the signing ceremony of a declaration of intent for cooperation in the fields of humanitarian assistance and emergency intervention.
Three Qatari military aircraft carrying 75 tonnes of aid, including ambulances, shelter supplies, and food, arrived in El Arish, Egypt. This aid, provided by both Qatar and France, will be transported to Gaza. Qatar has established an air bridge in El Arish to deliver aid, with over 80 flights completed so far.
Qatar had been pointing out the immense challenges in delivering aid due to limited and conditional access and called for unrestricted access to humanitarian assistance while appreciating the efforts of all parties involved.
Reiterating its earlier stand, Qatar yesterday urged the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) to stand firmly and strongly against the blatant international humanitarian law violations and collective punishment of civilian Palestinians.
Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari during his press briefing yesterday condemned the intentional starvation tactics used against the Palestinians, particularly in northern Gaza, and called for a clear stance from the international community.
The situation in Gaza is dire and over 300,000 people in the north lack basic necessities like food, medicine, water, and electricity. The assistance currently getting through to Gaza is just a fraction of what is truly needed, as 2.5 million Gazans face critical health and emergency service shortages, with over a million living in tents.
The international community must come together to put an end to this violation of international law and ensure the unrestricted flow of aid to Gaza. This has also been pointed out by Human Rights Watch when they said that the Israeli government continues to obstruct the provision of basic services and the entry and distribution of fuel and lifesaving aid within Gaza - acts of collective punishment that amount to war crimes and include the use of starvation of civilians as a weapon of war.
It is high time more countries step in like Qatar did and make sure enough humanitarian aid reaches the besieged people of Gaza. Countries should use all forms of leverage to press the Israeli government to comply with international law.
