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NEW YORK CITY: The UK and the four EU countries that are members of the UN Security Council (France, Greece, Denmark and Slovenia) on Wednesday urged Israeli authorities to immediately allow the safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Their plea echoed an appeal by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the Arab summit in Cairo on Monday.

Speaking on behalf of the five nations, Jay Dharmadhikari, the charge d’affaires at the French mission to the UN said: “We call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and to allow and facilitate the safe, unconditional, massive and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid at scale, as well as to ensure the protection of civilians and other protected persons, including humanitarian workers, in line with international humanitarian law.”

The diplomats also called for progress in the next phases of the ceasefire agreement and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas, and commended the efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the US to facilitate negotiations.

The joint statement followed a Security Council consultation session on Resolution 2720, which included a briefing by Sigrid Kaag, the UN’s senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza. Adopted by the Security Council in December 2023, Resolution 2720 calls for increased aid to address the crisis in Gaza, including the provisioning of fuel, food and medical supplies.

The five nations condemned Hamas for continuing to hold and mistreat hostages, and called for their immediate release.

“We need a permanent ceasefire that can pave the way for the release of all remaining hostages and for the reconstruction of Gaza,” Dharmadhikari added.

The countries denounced terrorism and reaffirmed that the delivery of humanitarian aid must be nonnegotiable principle under international humanitarian law.

They also welcomed regional efforts to form a cohesive plan for the future of Gaza, emphasizing that any plans must exclude Hamas, ensure the security of Israel, and avoid the displacement of Palestinians.

It must also align with Resolution 2735 and support the unity of the West Bank and Gaza under the mandate of the Palestinian Authority, they added. US-drafted Resolution 2735, which was adopted by the Security Council in June last year, represents a proposal for a three-phase ceasefire agreement to end the war.

“We stand ready to support and develop these ideas further,” Dharmadhikari said.

The diplomats also reiterated their unwavering, long-term commitment to the vision of a two-state solution, consistent with international law and UN resolutions, in which Israel and Palestine can live peacefully side by side with secure, recognized borders.