Canada and other countries call on Israel to ensure aid groups can work in Gaza – National

Canada and other countries demand Israel increase the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza while the country has reportedly decided to suspend more than two dozen humanitarian organizations.

The Associated Press reports that a Canadian non-profit organization, Oxfam Quebec, is on a list of 37 organizations that will be banned from Gaza by Israel starting January 1 for failing to comply with new rules for monitoring international organizations working in the enclave.

COGAT, the unit of the Israeli Defense Ministry that oversees humanitarian aid to Gaza, says the organizations on the list represent less than 1 percent of the total aid going to the Gaza Strip.

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In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom call on Israel to ensure that international NGOs are able to operate in Gaza in a “sustainable and predictable manner.”

Leaders say the delisting could force the closure of aid operations in Gaza and the West Bank within 60 days, causing a “severe” impact on access to essential services, including health care.

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In their statement, the leaders also call on Israel to ensure that the United Nations and its partners can continue their vital work, lift unreasonable restrictions on imports, open crossings and increase the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

— With files from The Associated Press