Caretaker PM Shtayyeh and EU’s Union Commissioner for Crisis Management discuss humanitarian situation in Gaza

RAMALLAH: Prime Minister of the Caretaker Government Mohammed Shtayyeh discussed during a meeting in Ramallah today with the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. They also discussed the necessity of putting an end to the ongoing Israeli aggression and introducing adequate humanitarian aid to Gaza. Shtayyeh accused Israel of using starvation and preventing aid entry as a strategic weapon against the Palestinian people. He affirmed that the world must not accept being a hostage to Israeli manipulation, 'but must put strong pressure to open all crossings into Gaza and allow aid to be delivered directly from the West Bank to Gaza and prevent the ongoing famine.' Shtayyeh noted that humanitarian relief must go hand in hand with the pursuit of a ceasefire, adding that dropping aid from the air at a time when Israel continues to drop bombs on the Palestinian people 'seems like a wasted effort." "Israel is making the situation impossibl e in Gaza by destroying the infrastructure and targeting all infrastructure necessary for life with the aim of displacing its population under the guise of voluntary migration," the Prime Minister stressed. He pointed out that Gaza needs a comprehensive plan that covers the needs of humanitarian relief, reconstruction and economic recovery. The Prime Minister called on the European Union to lead an international effort to create a political horizon towards ending the occupation and establishing a Palestinian state at a moment when the issue of Palestine has become a central issue in the world. Shtayyeh expressed thanks to the European Union for its political and financial support, especially in this difficult situation. For his part, Lenarcic affirmed the European Union's continued unwavering support for the two-state solution and achieving a just solution that guarantees peace for the two peoples. Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA