53 Countries and Organisations Urge Israel's Incoming Government to Open Gaza to Winter Aid
Britain, Qatar and Jordan led a joint statement at the UN saying aid still falls short of what Security Council Resolution 2803 requires, with shelter scarce as winter sets in; Israel has not replied.
Friday, November 13, 2026/2 min read
Fifty-three countries and organisations have urged Israel's incoming government to let aid into Gaza without restriction, saying shelter remains scarce as winter begins. The statement, led by Britain, Qatar and Jordan, was read at the United Nations in New York on Thursday by Britain's UN ambassador, Sarah MacIntosh. None of the reports reviewed here carries a response from Israel.
MacIntosh said that as winter sets in, far too many people in Gaza are still without adequate shelter, in remarks carried by Arab News. The signatories include Japan, according to Jiji Press via Nippon.com.
What does the joint statement ask Israel to do?
According to The National, the signatories want aid to enter through all available crossings and land routes, and the humanitarian corridors through Egypt and Jordan to operate fully and predictably. Arab News adds requests to approve more of the so-called dual-use items needed for shelter, fuel, water, sanitation and health, and to restore a medical-referral pathway to hospitals in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The statement also asks for protection of health workers, hospitals and aid sites, transparent criminal investigations into attacks on health and aid workers, and access for senior international delegations and journalists.
Why do they say aid is falling short?
The statement says aid has not reached the levels required by UN Security Council Resolution 2803, which endorsed the US-backed Board of Peace plan and called for deliveries no lower than those agreed in January 2025, The National reported. Arab News said the Security Council adopted the resolution on 17 November 2025 with 13 votes in favour and Russia and China abstaining.
The Norwegian Refugee Council estimated in early October that 1.65 million people faced a fourth winter in worn tents or war-damaged buildings, and that donors had provided or pledged 34% of the $283 million needed for the minimum winter shelter response, Arab News said. The National cited a separate figure of about 1.7 million of Gaza's 2.2 million people living in tents, makeshift shelters or damaged buildings, with almost a million in flood-prone areas.
What have UN officials said, and what happened earlier this week?
The UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said on Wednesday that waiting for a new Israeli government to form was not an acceptable reason to delay winter supplies, The National reported. The statement follows the first winter storm of the season, which the Digest reported earlier as having flooded the tents of 26,000 households, according to OCHA.
The signatories also pledged to support winterisation work and the rebuilding of health services, and to back the Palestinian Authority and the committee administering Gaza. Israel's incoming government is expected to form in the coming weeks, so the first test is whether crossings and quotas change before the colder weather deepens.
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