Australia, Canada, Italy, and UK Demand Immediate Humanitarian Access to Gaza Amid Flood Crisis

Australia, Canada, Italy, and the United Kingdom have issued a joint call urging Israel to grant immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Gaza. The four nations highlighted that recent flooding has exacerbated the suffering of Palestinians in the region.

In a joint statement released Sunday, the countries' foreign ministers warned of a dire humanitarian situation, noting that 150,000 tents and other essential supplies are currently being held at the border and blocked from entering the territory. For years, Israel has restricted exports and entries into Gaza, home to over 2 million people, but since October 2023, a full-scale blockade has limited access to basic necessities like food and water.

The statement emphasized that denying civilians access to humanitarian aid can be considered a war crime under the Geneva Convention. The foreign ministers urged the Government of Israel to end delays and facilitate rapid access to aid. This urgency is heightened by heavy rains this month that destroyed tens of thousands of tents, leaving many displaced people without shelter.

According to the United Nations, more than 1.9 million people have been displaced in Gaza. The Global Shelter Cluster, a humanitarian organization coordinating with the Red Cross and the UN, estimated as of November 1 that residents require at least 1.7 million mattresses and 121,000 tents to survive the cold and rainy season. The crisis is further compounded by the destruction of entire neighborhoods and cities, with some remaining structures being unstable; in September, a building collapse killed at least 20 people.

Beyond shelter, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians face extreme poverty as the price of basic goods has soared due to the war and Israel's tightened siege. The joint appeal follows similar warnings from the UN's Humanitarian Country Team of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the European Union, both of which urged Israel to reopen all Gaza border crossings.

The joint statement also called for the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan for Gaza, a 2025 plan calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Despite this, attacks continue, including a recent Israeli air strike on Gaza's Nasser Hospital that killed six Palestinians. Israel is currently facing a genocide case before the International Court of Justice, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant have been issued arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court for accused war crimes and crimes against humanity.