FORMER PRESIDENT MARY Robinson has issued a stark warning that governments failing to act decisively to stop the humanitarian crisis in Gaza are “increasingly complicit” in the suffering of Palestinians in the region.
It comes as the European Union, Britain and Japan called for urgent action to stop the “famine” in Gaza.
“Governments that are not using all the tools at their disposal to halt the unfolding genocide in Gaza are increasingly complicit,” Robinson said.
“Political leaders have the power and the legal obligation to apply measures to pressure this Israeli government to end its atrocity crimes.”
Her remarks come amid continued obstruction by Israel of humanitarian aid entering Gaza, which dozens of aid groups have said is causing mass starvation and widespread suffering.
In a joint statement, 24 countries have today called for urgent action to stop the famine in the Gaza Strip.
Ireland, Canada and the UK are among the nations to put their names to the joint statement which remarks that the humanitarian suffering in Gaza has “reached unimaginable levels”.
“Famine is unfolding before our eyes,” added the joint statement. “Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation.”
The statement called on Israel to authorise all international aid shipments and to facilitate safe, large-scale access for humanitarian organisations.
It called for all crossing and routes to be used and for the use of lethal force at aid sites to be stopped.
Ceasefire talks
The joint statement also praised the US, Qatar and Egypt for their “efforts in pushing for a ceasefire and pursuing peace”.
“We need a ceasefire that can end the war, for hostages to be released and aid to enter Gaza by land unhindered,” added the statement.
Egypt today said it is working with fellow Gaza mediators Qatar and the United States to broker a 60-day ceasefire as part of a renewed push to end the Israel-Hamas war.
Egypt, Qatar and the United States have played a key role in mediating talks between Israel and Hamas since the 7 October, 2023 attack.
A Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations said “mediators are working to formulate a new comprehensive ceasefire agreement proposal” that would include the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza “in one batch”.
Last month, more than two weeks of negotiations in Doha failed to secure a breakthrough in talks for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
Hamas negotiators eventually withdrew days after the United States and Israel pulled their own delegations.
A previous short-lived truce earlier this year collapsed and did not lead to a lasting agreement.
‘Man-made mass starvation’
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has described the situation as “man-made mass starvation,” with over 222 people, including 101 children, having died from malnutrition since the war began.
Health facilities in Gaza have been systematically destroyed, leaving children facing acute malnutrition without effective treatment.
Official reports show at least 36 children starved to death in July alone.
During the visit to the Rafah crossing with Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Robinson said they witnessed aid supplies being blocked from entering Gaza.
She also recalled accounts of Palestinian civilians, including children, being killed while trying to access desperately needed food and medical help.
She stressed the urgent need for all border crossings — including the critical Rafah crossing — to be opened immediately to allow aid to reach those trapped inside Gaza.
“This is all the more urgent given Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plan to take over Gaza City,” she said.
“President Trump has the leverage to compel a change of course. He must use it now.”
“A significant proportion of manifested trucks are turned away with vital supplies. The world needs to know... This has to stop.”
— The Elders (@TheElders) August 12, 2025
Mary Robinson and @HelenClarkNZ witness the devastating reality at the closed Rafah border with Gaza.
Clark highlighted the collapsing health system, noting a dramatic 40% drop in Gaza’s birth rate in the first half of 2025, as women lack safe places to give birth and mothers struggle to feed their newborns.
Robinson has previously spoken of the “utter urgency” for a ceasefire and the need for a political solution alongside humanitarian aid.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland last month, she condemned Israel’s refusal to apologise for the deaths of over 17,000 children in Gaza, calling the government’s actions “unconscionable” and their policies “dehumanising” Palestinians.
More than 100 humanitarian groups have echoed these concerns, warning that food, water, and medical supplies remain blocked at Gaza’s borders even as starvation spreads.
The Elders, founded by Nelson Mandela, have called for immediate ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, with the release of all Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners held arbitrarily by Israel.
The activist group also urged international recognition of the State of Palestine by at least 20 more countries, including EU and G7 members, ahead of a pivotal UN conference in New York next month.
Targeted sanctions against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his security cabinet have also been demanded, alongside suspension of preferential trade agreements with Israel by EU member states.
Air drops and evacuations
Elsewhere, it’s been reported that Denmark will take part in airdropping humanitarian aid over Gaza, in an operation coordinated by Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
“There is currently an open window until the end of August, during which Israel has allowed access to its airspace,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told public broadcaster DR.
He noted that the method was “by no means an optimal way to deliver emergency aid”.
The United Arab Emirates and Jordan had requested Denmark’s assistance, news agency Ritzau reported.
The supplies will be dropped from a C-130 aircraft that will fly over the Gaza Strip once or twice before 22 August, according to Lokke, who did not give details about the size of the Danish contribution.
Meanwhile, the Spanish government today said it has evacuated 44 wounded or ill children from Gaza, along with about 100 of their relatives over the past several months.
Four separate evacuation missions were carried out in coordination with international organisations and allied nations, Spain’s migration ministry, which led the operations, said in a statement.
The children and their families have been relocated across Spain to receive medical treatment, it added.
Those brought to Spain will be eligible to apply for asylum.
