A FRAMEWORK FOR HUMANITARIAN ACTION IN GAZA

Examples of Measures for Commission Consideration
Ms Ursula von der Leyen
President of the European Commission
Rue de la Loi 200 / Wetstraat 200
1049 Brussels, Belgium
 
26th May 2025
 
Subject: Gaza's Children, Europe's Values, and the Commission's Duty to Act
 
Dear President von der Leyen,
 
I write to you today with profound concern regarding the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, a crisis that tests not merely our compassion but the very foundation of the European Union's legal, moral and strategic integrity. As reports emerge showing that by 23 May, only about 100 trucks have entered Gaza since restrictions eased, far below the 500-600 trucks daily the UN deems essential, we face a moment that demands both moral clarity and practical action.
 
I welcome the Commission's announcement on the 20th May initiating a formal review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement under Article 2, a step that recognises the gravity of the situation. However, this review must be accompanied by immediate measures enabling UN agencies and other humanitarian organisations to fulfil their vital work. The World Food Programme has just reported 15 of their aid trucks carrying flour were looted on 22nd of May while en route to bakeries, with the organisation citing "hunger, desperation and anxiety" as driving this insecurity. Meanwhile, the UNRWA Commissioner-General describes current aid as "a needle in a haystack," emphasising that only "a meaningful and uninterrupted flow of aid" can prevent further catastrophe.
 
We stand at a crossroads where our response will define not just European policy but the very meaning of European values in today's world. The question before you is not whether we should act—our legal obligations and humanitarian principles make this imperative clear—but rather how the Commission might best assist UN agencies and international humanitarian organisations in fulfilling their mandates despite enormous obstacles.
 
I wish to emphasise that the proposals outlined in this letter represent examples of potential approaches that the Commission might consider in determining how best to help the UN and other humanitarian actors overcome the current impasse. They are meant to complement, not replace, the "UN-Coordinated Plan to Resume Humanitarian Aid Deliveries to Gaza" submitted on 16 May. The Commission should assess these and other possibilities that may facilitate consistent and significantly increased aid flow into Gaza.
 
I urge you to consider these measures not as political positioning but as practical pathways to address a humanitarian emergency that grows more desperate with each passing day.
 
The Commission's Clear Legal Obligations
 
The International Court of Justice rulings of January and July 2024 establish unequivocal legal obligations and recommendations regarding humanitarian access and civilian protection in Gaza. These are not abstract principles but binding commitments under international law and the EU's own foundational documents that require us to support UN agencies in fulfilling their humanitarian mandates.
 
Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement explicitly conditions our relationship on respect for human rights as an "essential element." I commend the Commission for beginning the formal review process of this agreement, a necessary step in upholding our legal framework. The Commission has clear authority and precedent for enforcing such provisions, as demonstrated in previous cases including Sri Lanka in 2010.
 
These frameworks create not just an option to act but a duty—a responsibility to support UN agencies including UNRWA, WFP, WHO, UNICEF and other international humanitarian organisations in their critical work delivering aid to civilians in desperate need.
 
The Human Cost of Inaction
 
Beyond legal frameworks lie the human realities: over 15,600 Palestinian children killed since October 2023, more than 70,000 children under five suffering severe acute malnutrition, and a healthcare system pushed beyond collapse with over 1,400 medical workers killed.
 
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned that the humanitarian response in Gaza is "on the verge of collapse" after two months of aid blockage. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported their teams hadn’t received medical supplies for 11 weeks, facing critical shortages. Each day of delay costs more innocent lives. Each postponed decision translates directly into increased suffering for civilians caught in circumstances not of their making. The humanitarian metrics are unambiguous, this is a catastrophe demanding immediate response.
 
Examples of Potential Measures for Commission Consideration
 
I respectfully submit the following examples of measures the Commission might wish to assess in determining its most effective response to support UN agencies and other humanitarian organisations. These approaches would work within established Commission competences and require no member state unanimity for implementation.
 
1. UN Agency Support Framework
 
Building upon the Association Agreement review now underway, the Commission could assess establishing a comprehensive framework supporting UN agencies in fulfilling their humanitarian mandates. This might include:
 
UNRWA Operational Support: Enhanced funding, technical assistance, and logistical support for UNRWA as the primary humanitarian agency in Gaza, addressing current operational challenges
WFP Distribution Enhancement: Specific support for World Food Programme distribution security and logistics, potentially preventing incidents like the recent truck looting
WHO Medical Supply Facilitation: Specialised assistance for World Health Organization medical supply delivery, addressing Gaza's collapsing healthcare system
UNICEF Child Protection Focus: Targeted support for UNICEF's work with vulnerable children, including nutrition programmes and psychological support
 
 2. Multi-Agency Coordination Enhancement
 
The Commission might consider establishing a coordination framework enhancing cooperation among UN agencies, the ICRC, MSF, and other humanitarian actors operating in Gaza, potentially including:
 
Cross-Agency Logistics Platform: Technical systems improving coordination between different humanitarian organisations
Joint Resource Management: Enhanced frameworks for shared logistics, warehousing, and distribution
Information Sharing Systems: Digital platforms for real-time coordination of humanitarian activities
Combined Security Protocols: Unified approaches to securing aid delivery across organisations
 
 3. Economic Incentive Architecture
 
The Commission could assess establishing a certification programme for companies contributing verifiably to UN and humanitarian agency operations, potentially offering expedited EU customs processing (24-48 hours versus standard 5-7 days), streamlined regulatory procedures, and enhanced financial transaction facilitation. Such measures might create economic motivation for supporting humanitarian efforts through established Commission competences.
 
 4. Technical Verification Systems
 
To address legitimate security concerns while enabling humanitarian operations, the Commission might assess providing advanced verification technology to complement the UN's existing QR code and GPS tracking systems outlined in their submitted plan. This could include additional electronic sealing mechanisms and enhanced documentation frameworks that might transform security concerns from barriers to enablers of humanitarian access.
 
5. Multiple Access Route Development
 
The Commission might consider technical and logistical support for UN agencies and humanitarian organisations using diversified humanitarian corridors including maritime routes, Jordan pathways, and optimised crossing points. This approach could potentially increase overall capacity while reducing dependency on any single access point.
 
6. Documentation and Accountability
 
Alongside humanitarian measures, the Commission could assess implementing systematic documentation of both humanitarian needs and delivery attempts by UN agencies and humanitarian organisations. This would preserve evidence of potential violations without impeding immediate assistance, maintaining moral clarity while enabling practical action.
 
 
 
 
 
7. Graduated Implementation Framework
 
Recognising political realities, the Commission might consider a phased implementation approach supporting UN agencies and humanitarian organisations in achieving meaningful progress within current constraints while establishing pathways toward comprehensive access as conditions evolve. This strategy would enable immediate improvement while building toward more complete solutions.
 
The Strategic Imperative for Careful Assessment
 
Beyond humanitarian and legal obligations lies the strategic imperative. Failure to effectively support UN agencies and humanitarian organisations in Gaza carries significant risks to European interests:
 
- Potential undermining of similar clauses in all 40+ EU trade agreements
- Possible impact on the €109 billion EU-Mercosur agreement
- Potential damage to the integrity of the EU's regulatory standards
- Risk of deepening divisions among Member States
- Possible erosion of public trust in European institutions
 
The Commission's formal review of the Association Agreement is a welcome first step, but careful consideration should be given to whether additional measures might enable humanitarian organisations to deliver aid at the scale required.
 
A Final Appeal
 
President von der Leyen, allow me to conclude not with policies and frameworks, but with the story of a single child.
 
In a makeshift shelter in Rafah, twelve-year-old Gazi sits quietly as darkness gathers. Her eyes, once bright with childhood's innocent trust, now hold the wary gaze of someone who has witnessed too much. Six months ago, as shells fell on her northern Gaza neighbourhood, her father gathered her close in his arms and whispered, "Don't worry little one, Pappa will mind you." She believed him then—in her world, parents could shelter their children from any storm.
 
Now her father searches daily for water and bread, returning more hollow-eyed each day. Her mother stretches their meagre food, always claiming she ate earlier when Gazi knows this isn't true. Last week, her five-year-old brother Ibrahim could no longer stand without help. Yesterday, he barely opened his eyes.
 
This morning, they fled again—their fourth displacement in six months. Ibrahim had to be carried, too weak even to cry. A plastic tarp, two blankets, a small pot—these few possessions were all they could take.
 
Each night, Gazi pretends to sleep while watching her parents whisper in their tent's corner. She sees her father's hidden tears, hears her mother's silent prayers. The truth has settled into her young bones: her parents cannot fix this. They cannot end the hunger or bring back clean water or medicines. The world where adults could solve any problem has shattered around her.
 
Tonight, Gazi slips outside and gazes at the stars, wondering if anyone beyond this desperate place sees the same stars. She wonders if they know children here are waiting, believing someone will help before it's too late. She whispers to those distant stars, "Please, we are still here. We are still waiting."
 
President von der Leyen, Gazi's whisper crosses the Mediterranean tonight, carried on the same winds that once brought Europe's promise of "never again" to every corner of our continent. It reaches Brussels, where you hold the power to answer her.
 
Will you tell her, "Don't you worry, don't you worry child, see heaven's got a plan for you"? Will you assure her that Europe remembers its promise, that we will not let another generation of children perish when we have the means to act?
 
Your messages once summoned 1.8 billion life-saving vaccine doses during the pandemic. Send one more signal—an order that the gates swing wide and the convoys roll. Let aid flow to Gaza's starving children through the UN agencies and humanitarian organisations standing ready to deliver it. Let Gazi's family survive to see the day when peace might finally come.
 
In a hospital corridor, a nurse lifts her phone above an empty incubator, the torch app her final lamp. She records a voice note no signal carries: "Oxygen ended at dawn. Three babies left. I can keep them warm, not breathing."
 
One day those orphaned words will file into Europe's archives beside every guarded contract, every presidential message that rushed vaccines to our cities. When tomorrow's students view them together, they will ask: How could a continent built on "never again" leave a child's plea unread?
 
Let the next sound in Gaza be a lorry's horn and children's cheers, not the hush that follows a final breath.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
Ciaran Mullooly, MEP
Midlands–North-West (Ireland)
Father & Concerned Citizen
 
 
 
 
EXAMPLES OF POTENTIAL MEASURES FOR COMMISSION CONSIDERATION
 
Introduction: A Framework for Supporting UN and Humanitarian Organisations
 
The following sections outline examples of potential measures the European Commission might wish to assess in determining its most effective response to Gaza's humanitarian crisis, with particular focus on supporting UN agencies and other humanitarian organisations in fulfilling their mandates. These represent not prescriptive solutions but illustrative possibilities demonstrating what might be achieved through existing Commission competences. They are designed to complement the UN's existing "UN-Coordinated Plan to Resume Humanitarian Aid Deliveries to Gaza," which already includes a detailed 5-stage delivery process with verification mechanisms.
 
1. Supporting UN Agency Operations
 
Enhanced UN Agency Assistance Framework
 
UNRWA Operational Support: The Commission might assess providing enhanced technical, financial and logistical support to UNRWA as the primary humanitarian agency in Gaza. Despite funding challenges and operational obstacles, UNRWA remains the backbone of humanitarian response with unmatched local knowledge and distribution capacity.
 
WFP Security Enhancement: Following the looting of 15 WFP trucks on 22 May, the Commission could consider specific security support for World Food Programme operations, potentially including additional verification systems, protective measures, and distribution security frameworks.
 
WHO Medical Pipeline: With Gaza's healthcare system in collapse, the Commission might assess specialised support for the World Health Organization's medical supply chain, addressing critical shortages in emergency care, surgical supplies, and chronic disease management.
 
UNICEF Child Protection Framework: The Commission could consider targeted assistance for UNICEF's operations supporting Gaza's children, who comprise nearly half the population and face severe malnutrition, trauma, and displacement.
 
Multi-Agency Coordination Enhancement
 
UN-ICRC Coordination Platform: The Commission might assess establishing improved coordination mechanisms between UN agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross, which maintains a critical humanitarian presence in Gaza despite operational challenges.
 
NGO Integration Framework: Support for coordination between UN agencies and international NGOs including Médecins Sans Frontières, Oxfam, and Save the Children could enhance overall humanitarian effectiveness.
 
Palestine Red Crescent Support: The Commission could consider specific assistance for the Palestine Red Crescent Society, which provides critical local implementation capacity despite overwhelming operational challenges.
 
Cross-Agency Resource Optimisation: Development of frameworks for shared logistics, warehousing and distribution across humanitarian organisations might maximise effectiveness of limited humanitarian access.
 
2. Working Within Commission Competences
 
Association Agreement Framework
 
Formal Review Implementation: With the Commission having initiated the formal review process of the EU-Israel Association Agreement on 20 May, additional consideration might be given to establishing clear humanitarian access benchmarks and specific metrics for assessment, creating an objective framework for evaluation.
 
Humanitarian Benchmarking: Development of clear metrics for humanitarian access compliance could provide both accountability for obstruction and recognition for cooperation, creating an objective framework for assessment.
 
Graduated Response Structure: A staged implementation framework linking specific humanitarian access metrics to various levels of agreement implementation might provide both incentives for improvement and consequences for continued obstruction.
 
Economic Incentive Architecture
 
Humanitarian Contribution Certification: The Commission could consider establishing a certification programme for companies demonstrating verifiable contributions to UN and humanitarian agency operations, potentially offering concrete economic advantages creating material incentives for cooperation.
 
Customs Processing Enhancement: Implementation of expedited processing for companies participating in humanitarian verification systems might create significant economic incentives particularly for time-sensitive sectors supporting UN operations.
 
Financial Transaction Facilitation: Development of streamlined banking processes for certified humanitarian contributors could reduce transaction costs and financial friction in European markets for organisations supporting humanitarian agencies.
 
Regulatory Priority Framework: Creation of preferential regulatory treatment for businesses actively supporting UN humanitarian operations, while maintaining standard processing for non-participating entities, might leverage existing Commission authority to create economic incentives.
 
3. Technical Solutions for UN and Humanitarian Operations
 
Verification Systems Development
 
Security Verification Enhancement: The Commission might consider providing advanced verification technology to complement the UN's existing QR code and GPS tracking systems outlined in their plan. This could include additional scanning systems, documentation technology, and tracking capabilities addressing legitimate security concerns.
 
Electronic Monitoring Solutions: Deployment of enhanced electronic sealing systems, GPS trackers, and comprehensive documentation systems could augment the UN's current verification approach.
 
Digital Documentation Architecture: Implementation of additional digital manifest systems and clear chain of custody frameworks might strengthen the UN's existing verification mechanisms.
 
Monitoring Dashboard Development: Creation of comprehensive monitoring systems providing real-time visibility of UN aid movements, accessible to all stakeholders, could enhance transparency and build implementation confidence.
 
Distribution Support Framework
 
Mobile Distribution Technology: The Commission could assess supporting UN and humanitarian organisations in developing small-scale, mobile distribution teams operating with verification applications documenting delivery to civilian recipients, enabling effective distribution despite infrastructure limitations.
 
Last-Mile Delivery Solutions: Development of innovative distribution approaches addressing infrastructure challenges, including small-vehicle networks, decentralised distribution systems, and direct-to-family delivery mechanisms could enhance UN operational effectiveness in challenging conditions.
 
Distribution Documentation Framework: Implementation of transparent distribution verification including recipient confirmation systems, GPS-tagged delivery documentation, and clear accountability throughout the process might address concerns about aid diversion while supporting UN operational credibility without the need for more boots on the ground nor EU physical presence.
 
Technical Training Programme: Capacity building for UN and humanitarian personnel on verification systems, security protocols, and documentation requirements could enhance operational effectiveness under challenging conditions.
 
4. Multiple Access Route Development for UN Operations
 
Access Route Diversification
 
Jordan Route Enhancement: The Commission might consider technical and logistical support strengthening Jordanian humanitarian corridors for UN agencies, including verification systems, transportation capacity, and coordination frameworks.
 
Maritime Corridor Support: Development of sea-based humanitarian access routes with appropriate security verification systems could potentially significantly increase UN delivery capacity while addressing land route constraints.
 
Egypt Crossing Capacity Building: Enhanced capabilities at Rafah crossing through technical assistance, verification systems, and coordination mechanisms might improve throughput capacity despite infrastructure limitations.
 
Israeli Crossing Point Optimisation: Technical support for improved processing at Israeli-controlled crossing points, focusing on verification effectiveness while reducing processing delays, could enhance overall humanitarian access.
 
Coordination Enhancement
 
NGO Coordination Framework: Development of improved coordination mechanisms among humanitarian organisations might maximise effectiveness of limited access points and avoid duplication of efforts.
 
Technical Working Group Establishment: Creation of specialised technical groups focusing on specific humanitarian challenges including medical supply distribution, water and sanitation systems, and nutrition programme implementation could enhance operational effectiveness.
 
Information Sharing Platform: Implementation of comprehensive data sharing systems tracking needs, delivery attempts, and distribution effectiveness might improve coordination across organisations and enhance overall effectiveness.
 
Resource Allocation Optimisation: Development of sophisticated prioritisation frameworks ensuring most critical humanitarian needs receive available resources across constrained delivery channels could maximise impact of limited access.
 
5. Documentation and Accountability Measures
 
Evidence Preservation Systems
 
Comprehensive Needs Documentation: The Commission might consider implementing systematic documentation of humanitarian needs, supported by medical evidence, technical assessment, and international standards.
 
Access Attempt Recording: Development of comprehensive logging systems documenting all humanitarian access attempts, including specific details of approvals, denials, and delays could create objective record of implementation challenges.
 
Violation Documentation Protocol: Creation of systematic evidence preservation frameworks recording potential violations of international humanitarian law without impeding immediate humanitarian action might address both accountability and humanitarian imperatives.
 
Health Impact Assessment: Support for comprehensive medical documentation of health conditions, malnutrition levels, and mortality data could provide objective evidence of humanitarian situation while informing prioritisation.
 
Transparency Enhancement
 
Public Documentation Portal: The Commission could assess establishing transparent reporting mechanisms publishing objective humanitarian metrics, access challenges, and delivery statistics.
 
Regular Situation Reporting: Implementation of structured reporting frameworks providing consistent updates on humanitarian conditions, access levels, and delivery effectiveness might enhance accountability and implementation assessment.
 
Technical Assessment Publication: Support for publication of technical assessments of infrastructure damage, humanitarian needs, and operational challenges based on objective metrics could inform effective response.
 
Victim Support Framework: Development of assistance programmes for civilian victims would address immediate humanitarian needs while documenting impact of the crisis.
 
6. Implementation Approaches 
 
Phased Implementation Consideration
 
Stage One - Available Channels: Focus on maximising delivery through currently accessible routes regardless of volume limitations while building capacity for expansion.
 
Stage Two - Technical Enhancement: Deployment of verification and documentation systems where politically feasible, establishing proof of concept for security-verified humanitarian delivery.
 
Stage Three - Conditional Expansion: Progressive increase in humanitarian access based on demonstrated effectiveness of verification systems and documented civilian needs.
 
Stage Four - Comprehensive Implementation: Full-scale humanitarian operation at required volume (500-600 trucks daily) when conditions permit, building on established systems and verified mechanisms.
 
Strategic Communication Considerations
 
Technical-Focus Messaging: Communication emphasising technical humanitarian aspects rather than political positioning, focusing on civilian needs and practical solutions.
 
Evidence-Based Reporting: Regular publication of objective metrics documenting humanitarian conditions, access levels, and delivery effectiveness based on verified data.
 
Multiple Audience Framework: Development of differentiated communication strategies addressing varied stakeholder concerns while maintaining consistent factual foundation.
 
Impact Documentation: Comprehensive reporting on civilian humanitarian conditions with specific focus on vulnerable populations including children, medical patients, and elderly.
 
Conclusion: Examples for Assessment, Not Prescription
 
These examples illustrate the type of measures the Commission might wish to assess in determining its most effective response to Gaza's humanitarian crisis right now and in light of the claimed Israeli security issues. They are designed to complement and strengthen the UN's existing plan while recognising the Commission's unique capabilities and competences.
 
The central principle connecting these examples is finding practical pathways to support humanitarian operations within current constraints while maintaining unwavering commitment to humanitarian principles. These approaches would enable immediate improvement in humanitarian conditions while building foundations for more comprehensive solutions as circumstances evolve.
 
The examples reflect an understanding that progress often comes not through forcing parties to immediately abandon fundamental positions but through creating frameworks where humanitarian cooperation becomes more advantageous than continued obstruction, transforming seemingly intractable conflicts into manageable technical challenges with mutually beneficial solutions.
 
Most importantly, these examples demonstrate that even within current constraints, meaningful Commission action remains possible through established competences requiring no member state unanimity. In focusing on practical humanitarian initiatives while maintaining moral clarity, the Commission can more comprehensively consider its legal and humanitarian responsibilities while potentially creating conditions for broader progress.

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Important Footnote:
The 7 point plan in this letter was researched with the assistance of important information gathered from sources in the United Nations and other key European agencies. It was cross-checked for the veracity of references and then summarised with the use of an Artificial Intelligence tool.

The monologue in the appeal to the EU Commission President was compiled on my behalf after consideration of the contents of up to 1000 e-mails received in my office from constituents and residents of Gaza on the theme of the shocking deaths of 15,000 children there. The name of the child was chosen in fictional format but the letter reflects on the vulnerability and emotional trauma of thousands of innocent  children in the middle east at the moment - as described to me. 

Ciaran Mullooly MEP June 1st, 2025