Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council: Israel must be pressured to implement the peace plan and open the crossings

The Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland, stated that it is necessary to exert more pressure on Israel and all parties to ensure the continuation of the peace plan proposed by Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, and the United States.

Egeland emphasized the need to implement this plan to make it a tangible reality, noting that there are many measures that Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) can take to apply the peace plan in a way that serves the interests of the people of the Gaza Strip.

The Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council stressed the necessity for Israel to open the crossings immediately, given that non-governmental organizations—including his council—have hundreds of thousands of plastic tarps to protect against rain, tens of thousands of tents, and other relief materials ready to assist more than a million people.

Egeland explained that the residents of Gaza are exposed to winter cold and are homeless, as 8 out of every 10 homes were destroyed due to the war.

He expressed hope that the countries that mediated to achieve the truce and ceasefire would exert pressure on Israel to convince it to open the crossings for charitable organizations committed to coordinating with all parties to deliver aid to those in need.

The international official called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, to restore the necessary permits to humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza to implement their projects and ensure the safety of their legal status, after the Israeli government previously revoked those permits.

Regarding the field situation, Egeland confirmed that the fighting cannot continue, noting that humanitarian organizations were subjected to Israeli bombing near their sites, making the pressure to implement the peace plan an urgent duty to protect women, children, and families in Gaza.

For his part, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem confirmed that the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip are facing an escalating humanitarian catastrophe due to the harsh weather conditions and the aftermath of the genocide war, coinciding with the occupation allowing less than 10% of the agreed fuel quantities to enter.

Qassem explained today, Tuesday, that what was allowed to enter in terms of shelter supplies does not meet the minimum needs, noting that the tents are not prepared to deal with the current weather conditions, leading to their flooding with every low-pressure system, and warning of more casualties.

It is noted that the Israeli genocide war in Gaza—which began on October 8, 2023, with American support and lasted two years—has left more than 70,000 martyrs and over 171,000 injured, most of them children and women, in addition to destruction that affected 90% of the civilian infrastructure.