France wants to mobilize aid for Gaza Strip
Just over a month after the start of the Gaza war, France is organizing an international aid conference for the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. According to the Élysée Palace, the meeting with representatives of states and aid organizations in Paris is about advocating for compliance with international law in the coastal strip and increased humanitarian access.
Aid for the supply of water, health, energy and food should be able to reach the people. New financial commitments to support the population in Gaza are expected at the conference. France has already held out the prospect of this.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Council President Charles Michel, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulidis, who had proposed a sea corridor for the delivery of humanitarian aid from Cyprus to Gaza, are expected to attend the meeting, which will be chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Israel not represented at conference
On October 7, terrorists from Hamas and other groups killed more than 1,400 people in massacres and attacks in the Israeli border area and abducted numerous hostages in the Gaza Strip. In response, the Israeli armed forces carried out air strikes and deployed ground troops in the densely populated coastal strip. According to the Ministry of Health, which is controlled by the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas, more than 10,500 people have been killed so far.
Israel itself is not represented at the conference. However, Macron has spoken to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the issue in advance, as well as to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the Emir of Qatar, it was reported in Paris. China's special envoy for the Middle East, Zhai Jun, will attend the meeting. China wants to push for a ceasefire, a ceasefire and a two-state solution, it was reported in Beijing.
Guterres: "Crisis of humanity"
UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the situation in the Gaza Strip on Monday as a "crisis of humanity" and complained that humanitarian aid was far from adequate. Only around 400 trucks with relief supplies had been able to enter the Gaza Strip in the past two weeks - compared to around 500 per day before the outbreak of the war. Urgently needed fuel could not be brought in at all.
At a meeting of foreign ministers in Tokyo on Wednesday, the Group of Seven (G7) economically strong democracies spoke out in favor of humanitarian ceasefires and the establishment of corridors to facilitate aid deliveries and the release of hostages. "All parties must provide unhindered humanitarian assistance to the civilian population, including food, water, medical supplies, fuel and shelter, as well as access for humanitarian workers," a G7 statement said.
At the international aid conference organized by France, Emmanuel Macron aims to increase humanitarian access and advocate for compliance with international law in the Middle East's Gaza Strip. Despite Israeli involvement in recent conflicts, they are not represented at the conference.
Source: www.dpa.com
