Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The European Union launches a humanitarian air bridge operation to deliver aid to Gaza. The first two flights will launch this week and will carry UNICEF humanitarian cargo including shelter materials, medicines and hygiene kits. The European Union continues to intensify its emergency aid to the Palestinian people. According to a post on the X-News website, previously published by Louis Bueno, the European Union spokesman in the Middle East and North Africa.
  The European Union Commissioner for Crisis Management discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza with Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA. The European spokesman said in a post about this meeting, “The Rafah border crossing must be opened without further delay, and the urgently needed fuel, water, food and medicine must reach the people trapped in Gaza.”
In another publication, the European spokesman said that European Union Council President Charles Michel discussed with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the efforts made to release the hostages in Gaza and to enable the arrival of humanitarian aid. They agreed that everything must be done to protect civilian lives, allow humanitarian aid to reach the most vulnerable groups, and respect international humanitarian law.
For his part, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator expressed grave concern about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the fate of the Israeli hostages. He said that he will travel to the Middle East on Tuesday to try to help in the ongoing talks regarding humanitarian access to the Strip.
In a press conference at the United Nations office in Geneva yesterday, Monday, Martin Griffiths said that his visit to the region would also be to express his solidarity and appreciation for the extraordinary courage of thousands of relief workers who continue their work in light of the difficult circumstances in Gaza and the West Bank.
He said: "We are living in the worst times. I would like to stress first that taking hostages from Israel - many of whom are children, women, the elderly and the sick - is unacceptable and illegal." He stressed the need to release the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza immediately.
He went on to say that the response to this terrible act must comply with the humanitarian rules of war, and in reference to the Israeli order for the Palestinians to move from northern Gaza to the southern Strip, the UN official said: “You cannot ask people to move out of danger without helping them to do so and that "They go to a place of their choice where the humanitarian assistance they need is available."