Four foreign ministers urge Israel to let winter aid into Gaza

In a joint statement published by the UK Foreign Office on 15 November, the ministers said 150,000 tents and other vital supplies were being held at the border and prevented from entering Gaza. They said people urgently needed shelter after recent flooding.

Two days earlier, the Humanitarian Country Team, which brings together UN agencies and aid organisations, said more than 150,000 tents bought by aid partners and governments were outside Gaza and ready for dispatch. Most were in Al Arish in Egypt, it said. The team reported that thousands of family shelters had been flooded, swept away or torn apart in the latest rainstorm.

The team said Israeli policies were obstructing critical supplies, citing multiple approval requirements, limited crossing capacity and unpredictable or narrow delivery windows. It also said funding for the winter response had fallen far short of what was needed.

The four ministers called on Israel to open crossings and permit rapid, unhindered aid access throughout Gaza, including for items that can have both civilian and military uses but are needed for relief and early recovery. They also urged all parties to implement the plan for Gaza, respect the ceasefire and allow aid to reach those in need.

Their statement follows an appeal by a broader international coalition, including the same four countries, for access through available crossings and land routes. The new statement does not announce a delivery or a change in access.

On 11 November, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected accusations that Israel was delaying winter supplies. He blamed Hamas and said it seized aid for military use; the Associated Press reported that he provided no evidence for that claim.