Fifty-three countries and organisations have called on Israel's incoming government to open all crossings into Gaza and allow far more aid in, warning that people in the territory are heading into winter without adequate shelter.

The joint statement was read on Thursday 12 November at United Nations headquarters in New York by Dame Sarah MacIntosh, the United Kingdom's ambassador to the UN. The call to action is led by the United Kingdom, Qatar and Jordan, and was delivered on behalf of 53 countries and organisations.

MacIntosh said the comprehensive peace plan endorsed by UN Security Council resolution 2803 provides for aid to enter Gaza at levels no lower than those agreed in January 2025. "This has not yet been realized," she said.

What the 53 countries asked for

The group urged the incoming Israeli government to open all crossings and land routes into Gaza, to allow the Egyptian and Jordanian aid corridors to operate fully, and to approve more critical items, including dual-use goods.

It also asked Israel to restore medical referrals to hospitals in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, to protect health and aid workers, and to investigate attacks against them. The countries further called for senior international delegations and journalists to be allowed into Gaza.

The statement was addressed to the government that will follow Israel's election on 27 October, rather than to the outgoing administration. The signatories said aid was still falling short of the levels promised under the peace plan endorsed by the Security Council a year ago.

Winter shelter fears

MacIntosh said the humanitarian situation had improved in some ways since the ceasefire, but warned that "far too many people in Gaza are still without adequate shelter and risk exposure to hypothermia, respiratory infections, waterborne diseases and other preventable illnesses."

"Constraints on the entry of critical shelter items and other life-saving supplies continue to prevent humanitarian organizations from responding at the scale required," she added.

Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories said that as of 11 November, more than 91,000 tents had entered Gaza under its winter plan. Aid agencies say far more shelter material is still needed, with large numbers of displaced families living in tents and makeshift shelters after months of war and recent flooding.

What happens next

The statement puts fresh diplomatic pressure on Israel's next government to ease restrictions before the coldest months, and it underlines how far the international consensus has moved towards demanding full humanitarian access rather than piecemeal approvals.

Whether the call changes what is allowed through the crossings will become clear in the coming days, as aid agencies measure deliveries against the levels set out in the peace plan. For families in Gaza living under canvas, the test is simple: whether tents, blankets, medical supplies and clean water arrive before winter sets in.

Sources: United Nations, Just Security, Arab News.