Israel has committed to a series of urgent humanitarian measures to ease the crisis in the Gaza Strip following "constructive dialogue" with the EU, the bloc's foreign policy chief announced on Thursday.
"Following the Israeli Cabinet’s resolutions and the constructive dialogue between the EU and Israel, significant steps have been agreed by Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip," Kaja Kallas said in a statement.
"These measures are or will be implemented in the coming days," she said, pointing to a shared understanding that "aid at scale must be delivered directly to the population” and that “measures will continue to be taken to ensure that there is no aid diversion to Hamas."
The steps agreed upon include a substantial increase in the number of daily trucks carrying both food and non-food items into Gaza, the opening of additional crossing points in both the north and south of the enclave, and the reopening of aid routes through Jordan and Egypt.
Other key actions involve “enabling the distribution of food supplies through bakeries and public kitchens throughout the Gaza Strip,” the “resumption of fuel deliveries for use by humanitarian facilities, up to an operational level,” and facilitating work to restore critical infrastructure, such as power for a water desalination plant.
She emphasized the importance of protecting humanitarian workers, stating that the “protection of aid workers” is among the measures to be implemented.
“The EU stands ready to coordinate with all relevant humanitarian stakeholders, UN agencies and NGOs on the ground, to ensure swift implementation of those urgent steps,” the statement added.
"The EU calls again for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages and supports the current efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States of America as mediators."
On Wednesday, Hamas said it had agreed to release 10 living hostages as a sign of “flexibility” to reach a Gaza ceasefire agreement.
US President Donald Trump said earlier that his administration is "getting very close to a deal" on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel are ongoing in the Qatari capital Doha.
The Israeli army has killed nearly 57,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has devastated the enclave and led to food shortages and the spread of disease.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
