Security Council members – except US – say Israel must reverse course in Gaza
A joint statement from 14 of the 15 members of the UN Security Council has called for Israel to stop further expansion of its military operation in Gaza.
The statement, which was not signed on to by the US, also:
- backed the IPC global hunger monitoring system that confirmed a famine in Gaza.
- said the famine in Gaza was a man-made crisis.
- warned that the use of starvation as a weapon of war is banned under international law.
- called for an immediate and unconditional permanent Gaza ceasefire, and the release of captives held in the enclave.
- demanded Israel immediately and unconditionally lift all restrictions on aid delivery into Gaza.
UNSC members express ‘distress’ at Gaza famine
The deputy representative for Guyana at the UN, Trishala Persaud, has expressed “distress” at the IPC’s findings of famine in areas of Gaza.
In a statement signed by other UN members that attended the briefing on the region, Persaud read out that this is the “first time” that famine has been declared in the Middle East.
“Every day, more persons are dying as a result of malnutrition, many of them children. We are alarmed by the report that famine is projected to expand to Deir el-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September,” Persaud said.
“At the same time, across the Gaza Strip, nearly one and a half million people are facing emergency and crisis levels of food insecurity.
“At least 132,000 children are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition between now and June 2026. Older persons and persons with chronic diseases also continue to be disproportionately affected by the conflict and are among the vulnerable groups reportedly succumbing to malnutrition-related deaths.”
In statement, 14 UNSC member states call Gaza famine a ‘man-made crisis’
Persaud adds that representatives from the member states that signed the statement condemning the famine in Gaza are “especially disturbed by the levels of acute malnutrition among children”.
“We note that at least 41,000 children are at heightened risk of malnutrition between now and June 2026. This is a man-made crisis. The use of starvation as a weapon of war is clearly prohibited under international humanitarian law.
“Famine in Gaza must be stopped immediately. International humanitarian law must be respected, and Security Council Resolution 2417 of 2018 must be implemented.”
UNSC member-states set out three urgent calls for Gaza
Slovenia’s deputy ambassador to the UN, Ondina Blokar Drobic, calls out the three urgent calls to action, agreed upon by 14 Security Council member states, amid the ongoing famine in Gaza:
- “We call for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. We call for the immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups. We call for a substantive surge of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza.
- Israel must immediately and unconditionally lift all restrictions on aid deliveries. This includes opening all land routes and allowing the UN and humanitarian partners to operate safely and at scale. Humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence must be central to humanitarian action.
- We call on Israel to immediately reverse its decision to further expand its military operation in Gaza with the aim of taking over Gaza City. The decision, which we reject, will inevitably worsen the already horrific humanitarian situation and endanger the lives of all civilians, including the hostages.”
And still the many thousands of Palestinian hostages in Israeli torture camps are ignored, not even acknowledged...
It's just more words anyway, will any of the UNSC member-states actually do something?
