Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and her counterparts in 23 other countries and the European Union declared late last night that “famine is unfolding before our eyes”.

The latest mass statement on the conflict seemed aimed in large part at convincing Israel to reverse onerous new registration requirements for foreign aid groups.

The ministers warned essential international non-government organisations (NGOs) might be forced to leave the Occupied Palestinian Territories “imminently”, making the humanitarian situation worse.

“The humanitarian suffering in Gaza has reached unimaginable levels. Famine is unfolding before our eyes,” Wong and the other foreign ministers said. 

“Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation. Humanitarian space must be protected, and aid should never be politicised.”

Australia, France, Canada, the UK and other countries called on Israel to “provide authorisation for all international NGO aid shipments and to unblock essential humanitarian actors from operating.”

“Immediate, permanent and concrete steps must be taken to facilitate safe, large-scale access for the UN, international NGOs and humanitarian partners,” the foreign ministers said.

“All crossings and routes must be used to allow a flood of aid into Gaza, including food, nutrition supplies, shelter, fuel, clean water, medicine and medical equipment. 

“Lethal force must not be used at distribution sites, and civilians, humanitarians and medical workers must be protected.”

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs last week called on Israel to drop new restrictions introduced in March forcing international NGOs to share sensitive personal information about their Palestinian employees or stop operating.

The office and NGOs warned “most” foreign groups could be de-registered by September 9 or sooner, forcing them to withdraw all international staff.

“Already, NGOs that are not registered under the new system are prohibited from sending any supplies to Gaza,” it said. 

“In July this year, Israeli authorities rejected repeated requests by 29 NGOs to ship humanitarian aid to Gaza citing the organisations as ‘ authorised’. 

“This policy has already prevented the delivery of life-saving aid including medicine, food, and hygiene items. 

“This most profoundly affects women, children, older people, and persons with disabilities, further aggravating the risk of being subjected to abuse and exploitation.”

Wong and some of the other foreign ministers last week said the aid groups’ “exclusion would be an egregious signal”.

The war was triggered by Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, in which militants abducted 251 people and killed about 1200 people, mostly civilians.

Israel’s air and ground offensive has displaced most of the people in Gaza, destroyed vast areas, pushed the territory toward famine and, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, killed more than 61,400 Palestinians.

The foreign ministers last night thanked the US, Qatar and Egypt for their help in negotiations and called for “a ceasefire that can end the war, for hostages to be released and aid to enter Gaza by land unhindered”.