Gaza becomes focus of UN meeting on civilians caught in conflict
While the meeting was about civilians caught in armed conflict globally, a lot of the focus turned to Gaza. During the meeting, the UN said they estimate 28,000 women and girls have been killed in Gaza since October 2023. That averages to one killed every hour.
Denmark’s ambassador focused on the issue of impunity. Next week the UN Security Council is expected to hold a meeting where they will focus solely on the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Residents are seen moving south along al-Rashid Street as Palestinians continue to flee toward areas in Gaza they believe to be safer, carrying what belongings they can, amid intensified Israeli attacks on northern Gaza on Thursday
Take your fucking time, UNSC is useless anyway.
Palestinians enduring ‘cruellest phase of this cruel conflict’: Guterres
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says “families are being starved and denied the very basics, all with the world watching in real time”.
Speaking to reporters at UN headquarters in New York, Guterres stressed that Israel has obligations under international law to provide aid that is needed to people in Gaza.
“Finally, a trickle of aid has crossed over. In recent days, almost 400 trucks were cleared for entry to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom [Karem Abu Salem] crossing. But supplies from only 115 trucks have been able to be collected, and nothing has reached the besieged north,” he said.
- “We are working around the clock to get whatever aid we can to people in need, and we managed to distribute some wheat, flour, baby food, nutrition supplements and medicine.”
- He says the assistance authorised to enter Gaza up until now “amounts to a teaspoon of aid when a flood of assistance is required”.
- “Strict quotas are being imposed on the goods we distribute along with unnecessary delay procedures,” Guterres tells reporters.
- He says Israel’s military offensive is intensifying “with atrocious levels of death and destruction” and notes that four-fifths of Gaza’s territory is a “no-go zone” for Palestinians.
- He reiterates that the UN will not take part in any alternative aid schemes that do not adhere to humanitarian principles, and says the world body has the system and staff needed to deliver assistance in Gaza.
- “The big picture is that without rapid, reliable, safe and sustained aid access, more people will die and the long-term consequences on the entire population will be profound.”
Guterres speech highlights ‘real frustration’ with Israel
We’ve heard the secretary-general say this before, but he again reaffirmed it today.
He was reminding the world that Israel has clear obligations under international law as the occupying power to not only provide aid to the population that they are occupying, but also not to forcibly displace any population.
We’ve heard this before but I think [we’re] sensing some real frustration not only from the secretary-general but from other UN officials, that their calls have so far gone unheeded. The secretary-general once again was calling out to the world to do whatever they can – whichever nations have leverage, to use that leverage on Israel right now.
