Cairo, Egypt – Canada, France, Germany, and other European countries announced their willingness to provide financial and medical contributions to treat patients from Gaza in the West Bank. In a joint statement, these countries called on Israel to reopen the medical corridor to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to facilitate medical evacuation and ensure patients receive treatment.
Countries that signed the statement
The list of signatories included 24 countries, most notably Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the European Union. The United States was not among the signatories to the statement.
A humanitarian and health crisis in Gaza
Relief organizations indicated that medical aid has not reached Gaza since May, and that the territory’s health system is nearing collapse. Images emerging from Gaza also reveal widespread human suffering, with the hunger crisis worsening and tens of thousands of casualties since October 2023.
Israeli position
Israel insists it is allowing “sufficient” food aid and supplies into Gaza, describing its military operations as self-defense following the October 7 attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and took more than 250 hostages.
International positions on the two-state solution
Despite Washington’s opposition, some US allies, such as Britain and France, have supported the establishment of a Palestinian state through the United Nations as a step toward a two-state solution.
