Gaza: A Call to Action on Humanitarian Access and Health

We reaffirm our commitment to the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and longer-term recovery, reconstruction and peace in Gaza, including through the work of the Palestinian Authority, the Board of Peace and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).

We recall that the Comprehensive Plan endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2803 provides for the immediate entry of full humanitarian assistance at levels no lower than those agreed on 19 January 2025, including the rehabilitation of water, electricity, sewage, hospitals and bakeries, and the entry of equipment needed for debris removal and road clearance. It further provides that humanitarian assistance should be delivered without interference through the United Nations and its agencies, the Red Crescent Movement and other impartial international humanitarian organizations. These commitments must now be implemented fully and without further delay.

Nearly a year since the ceasefire, we have seen that progress to improve the humanitarian situation is possible, when political will allows. There remain, however, basic and immediate humanitarian needs that require urgent action now, including the provision of adequate health care and public health measures. In Gaza, the health sector has been decimated. There is no single fully functioning hospital and there is widespread shortage of fuel and basic equipment. Intermittent and reduced medical supplies and medicines means that many people with chronic diseases cannot be treated adequately. At least 43,000 people are facing life-changing disabilities without access to specialised care, prosthetics, and rehabilitation. Since 2023, there have been at least 920 attacks on facilities and staff, with over 1,700 health workers killed. Many others are detained and have been subjected to severe mistreatment.

The deterioration of the health sector is illustrative of a wider system collapse in Gaza. As we approach winter, the lack of adequate shelter, water, sanitation and health services will all contribute to worsening health outcomes and exacerbate any disease outbreaks as well as potentially lead to environmental contamination that could easily spread. The biggest barrier to a functioning health service is the Government of Israel's restrictions to the free and unfettered entry of aid at scale, and lack of construction material to rehabilitate health facilities, which is stalling immediate humanitarian, as well as recovery efforts.

We commit to:

• Provide support for urgent winterisation preparation efforts, including shelter, water, sanitation and health supplies to reduce suffering and mitigate public health risks.
• Support the Palestinian Authority, working with the transitional NCAG, the United Nations and other humanitarian partners, to restore essential health services and rehabilitate health infrastructure. Such support must strengthen unified Palestinian institutions as part of a pathway towards a two-state solution and must not create parallel structures or entrench the political or administrative separation of Gaza from the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
• Reaffirm the vital role of the United Nations and its agencies, the Red Crescent Movement and other impartial international humanitarian organizations to deliver humanitarian assistance, as set out in UN Security Council Resolution 2803. This must include UNRWA who remain an indispensable provider of essential services across Palestine and the region.

We call on the Government of Israel to:

• Allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Gaza, and through all available crossings and land routes; expand crossing capacity and operating hours; remove unpredictable and arbitrary quotas, delays and additional layers of bureaucracy slowing aid delivery and increasing costs; and ensure the safe movement of humanitarian personnel and supplies inside Gaza.
• Facilitate the full and predictable operation of the Egyptian and Jordanian humanitarian corridor, ensuring adequate daily convoy slots, expedited inspections and uninterrupted movement through the relevant crossings.
• Approve additional critical items including the ones considered "dual use" items, in particular related to shelter, fuel, water, sanitation, health supplies to prevent further deterioration of public health. There must be timely approvals from Israel via the UN2720 mechanism. Given the gravity of the humanitarian situation there must be a very high bar for refusals, aligned to the Geneva Conventions which requires parties to allow the free passage of essential medical supplies.
• Restore the medical referral pathway to hospitals in East Jerusalem and the West Bank for those with illnesses and injuries that cannot be adequately treated in Gaza
• Ensure the protection of healthcare workers, healthcare facilities and medical transport in accordance with international humanitarian law and UN Security Council Resolution 2286 and provide due process and appropriate access for detained healthcare personnel, including access for the ICRC.
• Protect all notified humanitarian sites and guarantee the protection afforded to humanitarian and civilian personnel and infrastructure.
• Open and expedite transparent criminal investigations into attacks against healthcare and humanitarian workers.
• Allow senior international delegations and journalists to access Gaza. Given the ceasefire has now been in effect for nearly a year, and as efforts continue to implement commitments under UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and the 20 Point Plan, having diplomats and journalists will eliminate any debate over what is happening on the ground.

Australia, Denmark, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UK