'As the number one contributor of humanitarian aid, should be asking where that is that aid going,' Roberta Metsola tells press conference
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Tuesday called for urgent humanitarian access to Gaza, stressing the dire conditions on the ground and reiterating the need for a permanent ceasefire.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen following the European Parliament's meeting with the incoming Danish Presidency of the Council, Metsola described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as "catastrophic."
"The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. We have children, women and men dying every day," she said. "And we as the number one contributor of humanitarian aid, should be asking where that is that aid going, and how is it going to get to the people who need it the most."
Metsola underscored the Parliament's long-standing position calling for a permanent ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the importance of advancing toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
She reaffirmed that the EU "will not shy away" from addressing indiscriminate bombings of civilians, adding that the ongoing review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement will reflect these concerns.
Prime Minister Frederiksen echoed the urgency, saying: "We need aid immediately to enter Gaza. We need a ceasefire to ensure that. And we need, of course, all the hostages to be freed, and then we have to push our partners in Israel, to take care of, especially the civilians of course in Gaza and to find a way forward."
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a devastating offensive in Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 54,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among the enclave's more than 2 million.
