Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic on the Humanitarian Situation in the Gaza Strip
15.08.2025 / 12:00 | Aktualizováno: 15.08.2025 / 12:10
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Czechia considers the decision by the Israeli government's security cabinet to occupy the city of Gaza to be a risky move. At the same time, we must recognize that the conflict primarily persists because key areas of the Gaza Strip remain under Hamas control, where Israeli hostages are still held in inhumane conditions. We believe that Israel will take all necessary steps to protect civilians when planning and conducting military operations and will act in accordance with international law.
Czechia fully supports the agreement between the EU and Israel on improving the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, announced on July 10 by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas. The agreement includes an increase in the number of trucks carrying humanitarian aid, the opening of additional border crossings, and the reopening of aid distribution routes, including the protection of humanitarian workers and civilian aid recipients. It represents a key step towards alleviating the critical situation, and Israel already began to implement it.
Since the beginning of 2025, Czechia has provided humanitarian aid worth CZK 26 million to the Gaza Strip. This mainly consists of urgent food and nutritional aid and drinking water supplies. Further CZK 15 million have been allocated for this year to ongoing projects in the West Bank, with emphasis on access to healthcare. The total value of aid to Palestinians this year thus exceeds CZK 41 million.
Czechia actively promotes the opening of further humanitarian corridors so that aid can reach civilians who urgently need it. We emphasize that aid must be delivered safely and directly to civilians in the Gaza Strip in order to truly fulfill its purpose.
At the same time, however, we strongly insist that humanitarian aid must not be misused by the terrorist movement Hamas, which could jeopardize its distribution and use it to strengthen its position. We call on all actors on the ground to cooperate in delivering swift and safe assistance to the people of Gaza. The presence of independent media would contribute to an objective assessment of the real situation on the ground.
Czechia continues to support efforts to reach an agreement that would lead to the release of hostages held by Hamas. We emphasize that unconditional release of the hostages held by Hamas would end the crisis immediately.
A two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the only possible path to long-term peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians. However, this can only be achieved through direct negotiations between the two sides, which will not be possible as long as the Gaza Strip is controlled by Hamas terrorists.