DOHA, Qatar — Foreign ministers from eight Arab and Muslim countries urged Israel Friday to allow immediate, unhindered humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and to protect U.N. and aid group operations, while Pakistan reiterated its One-China policy as China staged sweeping drills around Taiwan. The parallel statements reflected escalating pressure points in the Middle East and Asia — winter storms battering displaced Palestinians and a spike in military activity in the Taiwan Strait — as regional allies and partners tried to steady fragile ceasefires and deterrence, Jan. 2, 2026.
Eight nations press for Gaza aid access
The ministers — from Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt — said the humanitarian situation in Gaza has worsened under harsh weather, shortages of shelter materials and what they described as insufficient access for relief convoys. In a joint statement released through Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, they called for Israel to lift constraints on the entry and distribution of essentials including tents, medical assistance, clean water, fuel and sanitation support, and urged the reopening of the Rafah crossing “in both directions” under a U.S.-backed plan referenced in the statement.
The group also urged that U.N. agencies — especially UNRWA — and international nongovernmental organizations be able to operate “in a sustained, predictable, and unrestricted manner,” arguing that any move to impede relief work would deepen civilian suffering and slow early recovery efforts.
Those warnings come as Israel tightens oversight of humanitarian organizations. The National reported that new registration rules and threats to bar dozens of NGOs have become a flashpoint, with aid agencies warning that staff-data requirements could violate privacy rules and disrupt operations at scale.
Pakistan doubles down on One-China policy as Taiwan drills intensify
In Islamabad, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said it regarded Taiwan as an “inalienable part of China” and would continue to stand with Beijing on what it calls core interests. Dawn reported that spokesman Tahir Andrabi told reporters: “We will continue to adhere to the One-China principle and regard Taiwan as an inalienable part of China.” Pakistan framed the position as consistent with its One-China policy and its wider “all-weather” partnership with China.
Pakistan’s statement followed China’s announcement that it had wrapped up two days of exercises around Taiwan, which Beijing said tested joint-operational readiness and signaled resolve against “Taiwan independence” and outside intervention. The Associated Press said the operation was branded “Justice Mission 2025” and drew criticism from several governments in the region.
In Taipei, President Lai Ching-te said Taiwan was determined to defend its sovereignty and urged lawmakers to back higher defense spending after the drills. Reuters reported that China fired dozens of rockets and deployed warships and aircraft near the island, prompting the United States to call on Beijing to halt what it described as unnecessary military pressure. The renewed focus on the One-China policy — and how countries interpret it — has become a familiar diplomatic stress test each time cross-strait tensions rise.
Continuity: familiar messages, new flashpoints
Pakistan has invoked the One-China policy during earlier Taiwan crises, including in 2022 after then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, when Arab News reported Islamabad reaffirmed the stance and warned that Taiwan Strait tensions risked broader regional instability.
On Gaza, regional diplomacy has also relied on recurring joint messaging. A wider Arab-Islamic ministerial committee created in late 2023 called for open crossings and expanded humanitarian flows amid renewed fighting, according to a March 2025 statement published by Turkey’s Foreign Ministry.
For now, the latest appeals underscore how quickly humanitarian access and military signaling can become intertwined with broader geopolitical alignments — and how the One-China policy remains a cornerstone phrase governments reach for when cross-strait tensions flare.
