Pakistan, Muslim nations voice concern over deteriorating Gaza situation

Pakistan and seven other Muslim countries have expressed their deepest concern regarding the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

This concern was expressed in a joint statement issued today by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

It said the situation has been exacerbated by severe, harsh, and unstable weather conditions, including heavy rainfall and storms. The situation has been further compounded by the continued lack of sufficient humanitarian access and acute shortages of essential life-saving supplies. It added that the slow pace of the entry of essential materials required for the rehabilitation of basic services and the establishment of temporary housing has also worsened conditions.

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The ministers highlighted that the severe weather has laid bare the fragility of existing humanitarian conditions, particularly for almost 1.9 million people and displaced families living in inadequate shelters. Flooded camps, damaged tents, the collapse of damaged buildings, and exposure to cold temperatures coupled with malnutrition have significantly heightened risks to civilian lives, including due to disease outbreaks, especially among children, women, the elderly, and individuals with medical vulnerabilities.

They commended the tireless efforts of all United Nations organisations and agencies, especially UNRWA, as well as international humanitarian NGOs, in continuing to assist Palestinian civilians and deliver humanitarian assistance under extremely difficult and complex circumstances.

They demanded that Israel ensure the UN and international NGOs are able to operate in Gaza and the West Bank in a sustained, predictable, and unrestricted manner, given their integral role in the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip. Any attempt to impede their ability to operate is unacceptable, they said.

Moreover, they reaffirmed their full support for United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 and President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan. They also reaffirmed their intention to contribute to the successful implementation thereof, with a view to ensuring the sustainability of the ceasefire and bringing an end to the war in Gaza. “This would help secure a dignified life for the Palestinian people who have endured prolonged humanitarian suffering and lead to a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood,” the ministers said.

In this context, they stressed the urgent need to immediately initiate and scale up early recovery efforts, including the provision of durable and dignified shelter to protect the population from the severe winter conditions.

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The ministers called on the international community to uphold its legal and moral responsibilities and to pressure Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately lift constraints on the entry and distribution of essential supplies including tents, shelter materials, medical assistance, clean water, fuel, and sanitation support.

They called for the immediate, full, and unhindered humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip without any interference by either party, through the UN and its agencies, the rehabilitation of infrastructure and hospitals, and the opening of the Rafah Crossing in both directions as stipulated in President Trump’s plan.