Germany urges Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza
Humanitarian aid destined for the Gaza Strip is being loaded onto a military aircraft at an undisclosed location in Jordan on Feb. 29, 2024. (Jordanian Army Handout via AFP)


Germany reiterated its call to Israel on Thursday to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock expressed concern over the dire situation, stating: "People risk their lives fighting over food parcels dropped from the air because not enough trucks are coming into Gaza. Children collect weeds to give their siblings something to eat. Babies are dying of dehydration and malnutrition in barely functioning hospitals."

Germany will provide an additional 20 million euros ($21.6 million) in aid to Gaza.

Baerbock emphasized, "The number of trucks bringing life-saving food, medicine and other supplies to Gaza has fallen sharply in recent weeks. This is not acceptable."

Against this backdrop, Baerbock urged Israel to provide safe and unhindered humanitarian access as recently demanded by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Netherlands.

"If sufficient trucks (carrying aid) cannot get through, help will have to come to the people from the air if necessary," she added.

Israel has launched a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

At least 30,228 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed and over 70,457 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the United Nations.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.