Security Council Press Statement on Incident Surrounding Humanitarian Assistance Convoy in Gaza Strip

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Yamazaki Kazuyuki (Japan):

The members of the Security Council express deep concern regarding reports stating that over 100 individuals lost their lives with several hundred others sustaining injuries, including people with gunshot wounds as observed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in an incident involving Israeli forces at a large gathering surrounding a humanitarian assistance convoy south-west of Gaza City.  The Council members take note that an Israeli investigation is under way.

They extend their sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wish a swift and complete recovery for those who have been injured.

The Council members stress the need to take all necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

In this regard, they reaffirm that all parties to conflicts must comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as applicable.

They call for all parties to refrain from depriving the civilian population in the Gaza Strip of basic services and humanitarian assistance indispensable to their survival, consistent with international humanitarian law.

In this regard, they express grave concern over the estimation from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) that all 2.2 million people in Gaza would face alarming levels of acute food insecurity.

The Council members reiterate their demand for parties to the conflict to allow, facilitate, and enable the immediate, rapid, safe, sustained and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale to the Palestinian civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip and for the full implementation of resolutions 2712 (2023) and 2720 (2023).

The Council members urge Israel to keep border crossings open for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, to facilitate the opening of additional crossings to meet humanitarian needs at scale, and to support the rapid and safe delivery of relief items to people in all of the Gaza Strip.