Gaza aid access must open immediately, 53 nations tell incoming Israeli government

Nov 12, 2026, 20:38 UTC

A line of white humanitarian aid trucks waiting near a dusty border crossing under an overcast winter sky. — REAL NEWS HUB

A coalition of 53 United Nations member nations alongside international organisations has called on Israel's incoming administration to permit unhindered humanitarian aid shipments into the Gaza Strip, pointing to a perilous lack of medical resources and adequate shelter as winter approaches.

The appeal, presented at the United Nations headquarters in New York and spearheaded by the United Kingdom, Jordan and Qatar, stresses that humanitarian relief remains far below the thresholds mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 2803. That resolution backed the American-supported Board of Peace initiative and directed that aid flows match or exceed rates established in January 2025.

The coalition, known as the Gaza Call to Action on Humanitarian Access and Health, pressed for all transit crossings and overland routes to be opened. It also demanded reliable, uninterrupted functioning of logistics corridors running via Jordan and Egypt. Delivering remarks representing the signatories, British Ambassador Sarah MacIntosh noted that conditions can improve when sufficient political will exists. However, she emphasized that lingering restrictions on vital shelter materials and life-saving equipment severely limit aid groups, warning that unhoused residents face elevated risks of hypothermia, waterborne infections and respiratory ailments.

Her warnings follow remarks from UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, who rebuked the postponement of winter relief operations. Fletcher stated that while international officials had previously cited the Israeli election cycle as a barrier to progress, subsequent delays tied to government formation were entirely unacceptable under international humanitarian principles.

Shelter conditions across the enclave remain precarious. Figures from the UN children's agency indicate roughly 1.7 million of the territory's 2.2 million residents reside in makeshift arrangements, tents or structurally compromised buildings susceptible to extreme cold and collapse. Nearly one million individuals inhabit flood-prone zones, with an estimated 400,000 situated in areas facing acute flood risks.

In their joint appeal, the nations urged Israel to safeguard medical infrastructure, emergency transport and relief personnel. They further requested accelerated, accountable inquiries into assaults targeting healthcare and aid staff, while seeking entry permissions for journalists and high-level foreign delegations.

The diplomatic push arrived as an Israeli air raid struck the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis on Thursday, killing 10 people in a building housing surgical facilities. The attack marked the highest death toll from a single strike since Israel's elections in the prior month. While the Israeli military stated it targeted a high-ranking Hamas operative using the facility for planning attacks—an assertion Hamas rejected—strikes have persisted despite a 2025 ceasefire. Health officials in Gaza report that more than 1,600 Palestinians have been killed since that truce began.

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Reported from The National (UAE).

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