BERLIN: Twenty-two countries, including Australia, Britain, France and Germany, on Monday demanded that Israel immediately “allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza” after the partial lifting of its blockade on the territory.

The foreign ministers of the key donor countries, who also included Japan and New Zealand, said that “whilst we acknowledge indications of a limited restart of aid, Israel blocked humanitarian aid entering Gaza for over two months”.

The statement said that “food, medicines and essential supplies are exhausted” and that “the population faces starvation”. “Gaza’s people must receive the aid they desperately need,” it added.

The joint statement was released as the United Nations said nine aid trucks were authorised to enter Gaza, describing it as a “drop in the ocean” amid the territory’s humanitarian crisis.

The donors’ statement also sharply rejected a reported Israeli plan to replace the previous system of aid distribution in Gaza, which Israeli officials have accused of having ties to Hamas.

The statement demanded that Israel “enable the UN and humanitarian organisations to work independently and impartially to save lives”.

“We also reiterate our firm message that Hamas must immediately release all remaining hostages and allow humanitarian assistance to be distributed without interference,” the statement went on.

The statement was signed by Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

The statement was also backed by the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, the bloc’s commissioner in charge of crisis management, Hadja Lahbib, as well as Dubravka Suica, the commissioner for the Mediterranean.—AFP