The United Nations reports that thousands of humanitarian aid trucks are currently waiting outside Gaza for permission to enter. Meanwhile, Paris and Berlin announced that they had dropped food aid into the region, and Finland has joined the list of countries recognizing the state of Palestine. However, Berlin emphasized that it does not have immediate plans to pursue official recognition.
The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, stated yesterday that the UN has around 6,000 trucks filled with food aid stranded outside of Gaza, awaiting approval to enter the territory.
Lazzarini mentioned in a post on social media: “UNRWA has 6,000 trucks loaded with aid stuck outside Gaza waiting for the green light to enter,” stressing the importance of delivering assistance through land routes rather than air drops. He clarified that the volume of aid these trucks can transport is double that of air deliveries.
He added, “If there is the political will to allow aid to be dropped from the air, despite its high cost and inefficiency, there should be a similar political will to open land crossings,” without specifying Israel, which controls Gaza’s entry points.
Lazzarini also noted that the UN was able to send between 500 and 600 trucks daily during a ceasefire earlier this year before Israel declared an end to this period on March 18.
Aid Efforts
In related news, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France dropped food aid into Gaza yesterday and urged Israel to take more action to address the hunger faced by Palestinians in the area.
Macron wrote on social media: “Aerial food aid is insufficient… Israel must fully open up access to humanitarian assistance to combat the risk of famine.” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barot confirmed that four flights from Jordan would each carry ten tons of food aid to Gaza.
Germany has also initiated the drop of food aid into Gaza. Additionally, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced plans for Italy to join the countries carrying out air drops, confirming Italy’s intention to evacuate sick Palestinian children from Gaza for medical treatment.
Furthermore, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff visited Gaza yesterday and pledged to increase aid to the region. Witkoff, along with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, toured a distribution center for aid.
Witkoff stated on social media that their five-hour visit aimed to provide President Donald Trump with a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and to devise a plan to deliver food and medical assistance to the residents of Gaza. Axios reported that Trump has announced plans to develop a strategy for feeding the people.
Meanwhile, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi reiterated his country’s firm stance against attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land, emphasizing the need to expedite the reconstruction of Gaza upon reaching a ceasefire.
During a phone call with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, President el-Sisi stated that Egypt is intensifying its efforts to achieve a ceasefire agreement and ensure urgent entry of humanitarian aid in sufficient quantities.
He also highlighted the need for the release of hostages and detainees, as well as creating an appropriate environment for resuming political processes based on a two-state solution and establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
International Positions
In the context of ongoing international recognition of Palestine, Finnish President Alexander Stubb expressed his readiness to approve recognition of a Palestinian state if the government submits such a proposal.
Stubb wrote on social media: “France, Britain, and Canada’s decisions enhance the move towards recognizing Palestine as part of efforts to revive the peace process… If I receive a proposal for recognition, I am ready to approve it,” condemning the inhumane situation in Gaza.
Kuwait also welcomed Portugal’s announcement about initiating steps to officially recognize Palestine. The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry stated that this important step would contribute to achieving what is outlined in relevant Security Council resolutions.
The statement emphasized the importance of the Arab Peace Initiative in empowering the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and establish their state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. It also urged other countries to take similar steps for a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue.
No Immediate Plans
German Foreign Minister Johan Wadephul asserted that Germany does not have immediate plans to recognize a Palestinian state. He explained, “Recognizing a Palestinian state is one of the final steps that must be taken in the context of a two-state solution,” and called on Israel to ensure that UN organizations can deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, saying that current restrictions exacerbate the crisis.
He added, “The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza must end now,” emphasizing that the distribution of aid through the UN has been effective for a long time and should resume without obstacles. Wadephul strongly condemned the violence of Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank.