Palestinian issues

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) — by far the largest humanitarian provider in Gaza — warned that, unless fuel is allowed into Gaza immediately, it will be forced to halt its operations tonight.

The raging war in Gaza is the latest symptom of the international community’s epic failure to address decades of Israel’s illegality and impunity, the expert tasked with monitoring human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates also engaged in interactive dialogues on the human rights situations in Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia.

The situation in the Middle East grows more dire by the hour, with the war in Gaza raging and risking spiralling throughout the region, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned the Security Council today, calling for humanitarian aid without restrictions and an immediate ceasefire.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council open debate on the Middle East, in New York today:

In Gaza, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reports that two more of its staff were confirmed killed, bringing to 16 the total number killed since 7 October. The Agency continues advocating at the highest levels for sustained, unhindered humanitarian access for fuel, food, water and medicine into Gaza.

In Libya, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that, five weeks after Storm Daniel brought catastrophic flooding to the country’s north-east, more than 43,000 people are still displaced.

Yesterday’s attack on the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, which resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths, is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, delegates told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as they also engaged in a series of interactive dialogues on the right to education, cultural rights and the impact of climate change on persons with albinism.

In the aftermath of an air strike on a northern Gaza hospital that marked a sharp escalation in the ongoing Israel-Gaza crisis, the Security Council today failed to adopt a resolution put forth by Brazil that would have called for humanitarian pauses to allow full, safe and unhindered access for United Nations agencies and their partners, due to a veto cast by a permanent member of the Council, the United States.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) warned today that at least 10,000 children in Sudan under the age of five may die by the end of this year due to increased food insecurity and disruptions to essential services since conflict broke out in the country.

The international community must urgently come together to secure an immediate cessation of hostilities, the unconditional release of all hostages and safe and unhindered humanitarian access, delegates heard today, during a Security Council briefing on the situation in the Middle East, following the 7 October invasion of Israel by Hamas and a 17 October attack against the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza.