UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe.The UN Security Council convened to discuss the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
As the crisis in the Middle East triggered by the war in Gaza continues to escalate, the United Nations today carries out a series of related activities around the world, both in the region and at its headquarters in New York. This included the Council's consideration of the provisional judgement of the International Court of Justice on the genocide allegation, and the briefing by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, stressing that UNRWA was the "pillar" of all humanitarian relief operations in Gaza.
Here are the highlights: UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People that "UNRWA is the backbone of all humanitarian relief operations in Gaza" and called on all Member States to ensure the continuity of the agency's life-saving work. The UN Secretary-General condemned the attacks by Hamas and other groups, saying: "The ongoing conflict in Gaza and the relentless bombardment of the area by the Israeli army have resulted in civilian deaths and destruction at a pace and scale not seen in recent years." ”
"The death, destruction, displacement, hunger, loss and grief that have taken place in Gaza over the past 120 days have been a scar on our common humanity and conscience," the Secretary-General stressed. UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths told the Security Council that "the decision to suspend funding to UNRWA must be reversed. "To put it bluntly, our humanitarian response to the Occupied Palestinian Territory depends entirely on the adequacy of UNRWA's funding and functioning," Griffiths stressed. At the same time, he reiterated his call for a ceasefire and for respect for international humanitarian law.
Emergency Relief Coordinator: Suffering and suffering in Gaza is growing by the day
In Gaza, heavy fighting continues in the area around Khan Younis Hospital, endangering the well-being of thousands and forcing thousands to descend Rafah, according to Martin Griffiths, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator.
"With each passing day, the suffering and suffering of the people of Gaza and even of Israel deepens by one day," he said. ”
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 26,000 people have been reported dead and more than 65,000 injured, the vast majority of whom are women and children.
Griffiths noted that more than 60 per cent of housing units have been destroyed or damaged, and about 75 per cent of Gaza's total population has been forcibly displaced.
"There is almost no access to clean water for the local population," he warned. ”
He continued to stress that anyone displaced from Gaza must be allowed to return, as required by international law.
Assistance to those in need remains 'grossly inadequate'
At the same time, the capacity of humanitarian operations to provide assistance to the people of Gaza remains "grossly inadequate".
Despite the extremely dangerous situation on the ground, assistance continues to include support for a functioning bakery, distribution of food, water, hygiene and cleaning kits, tents, tarps and blankets, delivery of medicines and medical supplies, and assistance in the evacuation of patients.
Griffiths stressed the need for urgent measures to ensure rapid and unhindered access for aid, and called for enhanced security and predictable supply chains to provide assistance to civilians in need across Gaza.
UNRWA is the "core" of the Gaza aid operation
"UNRWA is at the heart of all relief operations in Gaza," Griffiths said, despite the killings, injuries and displacement of its staff.
He was alarmed by the alleged involvement of some UNRWA staff members in the attack in Israel on 7 October, while stressing that the Agency had acted swiftly and that an investigation was ongoing.
He also mentioned that, although individual UNRWA staff members had been accused of certain acts, those allegations should not jeopardize the life-saving services provided by the Agency to more than three quarters of Gaza's population.
"To put it bluntly, our humanitarian response in the Occupied Palestinian Territory depends entirely on the adequacy of UNRWA's funding and functioning," Griffiths said. UNRWA played an indispensable role in distribution, warehousing, material delivery and human resources, and thousands of its staff were responding to the current crisis. ”
"The decision to suspend funding to UNRWA must be reversed," he stressed. ”
He reiterated his call for a ceasefire and for respect for international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and the infrastructure on which they depend, and for the immediate release of all hostages.
"I urge the Council to do everything in its power to end this tragedy," Griffiths said. ”
Guterres: "The scars of our common humanity"
In his address to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the very important mission of UNRWA in the context of the unresolved issue of Palestinian statelessness and the spread of violence and suffering since the terrorist attacks of 7 October.
"The death, destruction, displacement, hunger, loss and grief that have taken place in Gaza over the past 120 days is a scar on our common humanity and conscience," he said. ”
He condemned the attacks by Hamas and other groups. At the same time, he noted: "The ongoing conflict in Gaza and the relentless bombardment of the area by the Israeli army have led to civilian deaths and destruction at a speed and scale not seen in recent years." ”
UNRWA is "the backbone of humanitarian relief operations in Gaza"
Guterres stressed that the United Nations took immediate action after receiving extremely serious allegations that UNRWA staff were implicated in the attack on 7 October.
"I am personally deeply shocked by these allegations," he said. He noted that he met with donors on Tuesday to listen to their concerns and outline to them the measures being taken by the United Nations to address them.
He re-stressed the importance of supporting UNRWA to enable it to continue its critical work in order to meet the urgent needs of the civilian population in Gaza and to ensure that the Agency could continue to provide essential life-saving assistance to Palestine refugees in the occupied West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
"UNRWA is the backbone of all humanitarian relief operations in Gaza," he said. I call on all Member States to ensure continuity in UNRWA's life-saving work. ”
More than 26,000 people have been reported dead in Gaza, 1.7 million have been forcibly displaced, and civilian infrastructure, including homes and schools, has been extensively damaged. In this regard, Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that all belligerents must abide by international law.
The judgment of the International Court of Justice "must be observed".
"International humanitarian law must be respected at all times, including the protection of civilians in attacks and the principles of discrimination, proportionality and precaution in the treatment of civilian objects," Guterres said. ”
"The binding judgment of the International Court of Justice must be respected," he stressed. ”