The Council of the European Union expressed grave concern on Saturday over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which it said had worsened after recent heavy rains and flooding.
“The severe flooding and winter conditions that have struck Gaza are further aggravating the living conditions of an already exhausted population,” the council said in a statement.
The council called on Israel to reopen all of Gaza’s border crossings and to allow immediate, unimpeded access for humanitarian aid, as well as large-scale distribution of aid and early recovery support.
It also reaffirmed its commitment to a two-state solution and criticized continued IDF strikes in the Gaza Strip despite the ceasefire announced in 2025.
Israel's Foreign Ministry responded to the EU statement on social media, claiming that it ignored the part Hamas plays in the mistreatment of the Gazan population.
"The EU's statement is completely unbalanced and rewards Hamas's refusal to disarm, as mandated by the Peace Plan," the Foreign Ministry wrote. "[The statement] also ignores Hamas’s continuous abuse of hospitals for terror operations and its diversion of humanitarian aid to military infrastructure."
IDF provides thousands of tents, winter supplies to Gaza Strip, says Hamas exploiting aid
On Friday, the IDF reconfirmed that adequate winter supplies were entering the Gaza Strip, accusing Hamas of being the main obstacle to the area's rehabilitation and saying that it exploits humanitarian infrastructure and aid.
According to the IDF, thousands of additional tents have entered the Strip over the last week, bringing the total from over 91,000 on Monday to over 93,000 since the beginning of winter.
In addition, hundreds of trucks carrying winter supplies have entered Gaza during that time, the IDF said, increasing the total from 8,200 on Monday to over 8,600.
Other trucks carrying medical equipment and medications were also allowed into the Gaza Strip and delivered to hospitals and clinics, with the IDF mentioning dialysis fluids, defibrillators, incubators, ultrasound machines, and physiotherapy equipment as examples of the supplies.
"Hamas remains the primary obstacle to the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip and a different future for its residents. Hamas continues to exploit humanitarian infrastructure and incoming humanitarian aid, particularly the winter supplies being brought into the Gaza Strip. As long as Hamas does not disarm, the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip will not be possible," the military said.
Board of Peace calls on Israel to authorize winter supplies aid entry into Gaza following flooding
On Monday, the Trump administration’s Board of Peace (BoP) called on Israel to immediately facilitate the entry of winterization and humanitarian supplies into the Gaza Strip, criticizing what it characterized as insufficient progress in approving essential materials following recent severe flooding that has affected tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians.
“The situation no longer represents simply a threat posed by the approaching winter, but an immediate humanitarian emergency,” the BoP said in a statement, emphasizing the urgent need for shelter, sanitation, drainage, and other supplies to protect against the advancing winter weather.
In early November, heavy rains and winds battered the Gaza Strip, flooded displacement camps, damaged tents, and left families without dry shelter. Hamas said on November 8 that approximately 70,000 tents were flooded within 12 hours and estimated the initial direct damage at approximately $3 million.
Gaza's Hamas-run Civil Defense said it had received 2,166 distress calls since the storm began but had managed to respond to only 218 of them.
Security officials said the following day that as part of preparations for winter weather, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Gaza Board of Peace, and the UN had already transported a variety of supplies to the enclave.
Officials stated that 91,000 new tents, waterproof tarps, and 9,000 truckloads of clothing and blankets were among the equipment delivered to offset the flood damage.
Amir Bohbot, Tzvi Jasper, and Amichai Stein contributed to this report.
Follow us on GoogleSource: The Jerusalem Post · JERUSALEM POST STAFF
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