Germany, France and Britain have called on Israel to stop blocking humanitarian aid into Gaza, warning of “an acute risk of starvation, epidemic disease and death”, AFP reports.

“This must end”, their foreign ministers said in a joint statement. “We urge Israel to immediately restart a rapid and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza in order to meet the needs of all civilians.”

“The Israeli decision to block aid from entering Gaza is intolerable,” the three ministers said.

They also criticised Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz for “recent comments politicising humanitarian aid” and described Israeli plans to remain in Gaza after the conflict as “unacceptable”.

“Humanitarian aid must never be used as a political tool and Palestinian territory must not be reduced nor subjected to any demographic change,” they said.

The foreign ministers also expressed “outrage at recent strikes by Israeli forces on humanitarian personnel, infrastructure, premises and healthcare facilities” in Gaza, adding, “Israel must do much more to protect the civilian population, infrastructure and humanitarian workers.”