Israel ‘doesn’t care quite frankly’ about UN chief’s call for action, end to impunity
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the famine in Gaza, calling it “a man-made disaster, a moral indictment and a failure of humanity itself”.
“As the occupying power, Israel has unequivocal obligations under international law – including the duty of ensuring food and medical supplies of the population. We cannot allow this situation to continue with impunity,” Guterres wrote on X.
But Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo explained that, while Guterres’s remarks hint at growing pressure on Israel, the country has long disregarded the views of the UN.
“Israel doesn’t care quite frankly what the secretary-general has to say,” Elizondo said.
“They’ve not heeded any of his demands that he has been telling the Israelis for many months now. And in fact, Israel still considers the secretary-general persona non grata.”
Just when it seems there are no words left to describe the living hell in Gaza, a new one has been added: “famine”.
This is not a mystery — it is a man-made disaster, a moral indictment and a failure of humanity itself. Famine is not only about food; it is the deliberate… pic.twitter.com/1MYaxhJl4Z
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 22, 2025
What will it take for world to tackle ‘so clearly man-made’ famine in Gaza, ex-UN aid chief asks
Martin Griffiths, former UN humanitarian chief, says today’s “terrible announcement” of “so clearly man-made” famine in Gaza marks a critical moment for the world.
Griffiths, director of Mediation Group International, told Al Jazeera that “the world has been very, very slow – the Western world has been very slow to react to the actions of Israel in Gaza, which … we have seen clearly on the screens”.
“So, this doesn’t come as a surprise; it comes as a terrible, terrible crime,” he said.
Griffiths added that the question now becomes, what will it take for world governments to act, as they are legally required to do under the measures of the International Court of Justice, to stop selling arms to Israel and investigate what is happening?
“We’ve known that for a year, that’s what governments need to do, and almost none have done it. They’ve expressed concern; that is clearly not working,” he said.
