The Foreign Affairs Committee has published correspondence from Foreign
Secretary on aid to Gaza.
The letter confirms that the United Nations has not requested
that the Kerem Shalom crossing is closed on Saturdays, saying
that it is the Foreign Office’s understanding that Israel closes
it due to the Sabbath.
Foreign Secretary Cameron voices “enormous frustration” that UK
aid for Gaza has been routinely held up waiting for Israeli
permissions. The main blockers remain arbitrary denials by the
Government of Israel and lengthy clearance procedures, including
multiple screenings and narrow opening windows in daylight hours.
The letter provides an example of some UK funded aid being stuck
at the border for just under three weeks waiting for approval.
The Foreign Secretary says he is gravely concerned that any aid –
including UK aid – has been stalled, delayed or rejected at the
border.
The letter says that Israel has the ability to turn the taps back
on and that they should do so. It says that the UK Government
continues to press Israel to allow in the fuel supplies needed
for water pumping and desalination and calls on Israel to restore
water through the pipelines from Israel.
The letter also discusses the threats of unexploded ordnance and
the potential for this to affect the delivery of humanitarian
aid. It says that maritime corridors and air drops cannot
substitute delivery through land routes.
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, , said:
“We are watching one of the most desperate, distressing
humanitarian disasters in recent memory unfold in front of our
eyes.
“The UK and our allies are willing to provide aid to innocent
Gazans, many of whom are women and children, caught in the
crossfires of this conflict.
“Today’s letter confirms what we saw and heard on our visit to
the border area – that Israel’s arbitrary denials and lengthy
clearance processes are key factors in holding up the delivery of
aid. It also confirms that Israel has the ability and power to
turn the water back on in Gaza, and so far has chosen not to do
so. If the famine continues along its current trajectory,
thousands of Gazans will lose their lives. This is suffering on
an unimaginable scale.
“The new maritime highway is a poor substitute for land
corridors, which remain the best way of delivering a large amount
of aid in a short period. Israel needs to open Ashdod port and
more border crossings to enable the much-needed aid to reach the
people in Gaza.
“I am grateful to the Foreign Secretary for being so clear and
candid; this is essential in times of crisis.”
