Over 20 countries express 'profound concern' over humanitarian situation in Gaza

Portugal, along with 20 other countries and the European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, signed a joint statement on Tuesday and expressed "profound concern" over the "catastrophic humanitarian situation" in Gaza.

The joint statement, coordinated by the Netherlands and shared by the Portuguese Foreign Ministry on social media, said humanitarian aid entering Gaza "has remained largely insufficient, both in quantity and quality, while almost the entire population depends on life-saving services."

The statement called on Israel "to comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law" and said all internationally recognized humanitarian organizations "must be able to carry out their vital work without obstruction."

"Israel is obliged to ensure and facilitate, without delay, the safe, rapid and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to the civilian population, and refrain from any action that would impede the delivery of such assistance in any way," the statement said.

Moreover, the statement noted that the recent Israeli Supreme Court ruling upholding a registration law "will severely affect and limit the capacity of international NGOs to operate within the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem."

"We strongly call on Israel not to implement the registration law in its current form," the statement said.