Guterres urges global community to help humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, not to look away
Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 30th Nov. UN Security Council on Wednesday held an open meeting on the Middle East crisis at the UN headquarters which was attended by various foreign ministers from the region.
Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the world must not look away from the suffering of civilians in Gaza and do more to alleviate their pain in these difficult times.
He encouraged the arrangement reached by Israel and Hamas, with the assistance of the governments of Qatar, Egypt and the United States.
Mr. Guterres said the UN was working to maximize the positive potential of the current pause in fighting on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
“The pause has enabled us to enhance the delivery of aid into and across Gaza,” he said.
He noted that for the first time since 7 October, an inter-agency convoy delivered food, water, medical supplies, and shelter items to northern Gaza, specifically to four UNRWA shelters in Jabalia camp.
But, the level of aid remains completely inadequate to meet the huge needs of more than two million people, he said.
He stressed that all hostages must be released.
Guterres noted that the Rafah border crossing does not have enough capacity taking into account the slow pace of procedures, to meet these and other needs.
He urged the opening of other crossings, including Kerem Shalom, and the streamlining of inspection mechanisms to allow for the necessary increase of lifesaving aid.
But, humanitarian aid alone will not be sufficient, he said.
He added that the private sector is needed to bring in critical basic commodities to replenish completely depleted shops.
“Success will be measured in lives that are saved, suffering that is ended, and hope and dignity that is restored”, he said.
“The people of Gaza are in the midst of an epic humanitarian catastrophe before the eyes of the world,” he said. “We must not look away.”
He welcomed the ongoing intense negotiations to prolong the truce.
“But, we believe we need a true humanitarian ceasefire, and we must ensure the people of the region finally have a horizon of hope by moving in a determined and irreversible way toward establishing a two-State solution, on the basis of United Nations resolutions and international law, with Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security, he said.
He said “Failure will condemn Palestinians, Israelis, the region and the world to a never-ending cycle of death and destruction.”
According to the resolution, Mr. Guterres is to report back on the latest dire humanitarian situation.
He told ambassadors and ministers that more than two-thirds of those killed in Gaza so far have been children and women.
Guterres said in a matter of weeks, a far greater number of children have been killed by Israel than in any year, by any party to a conflict, since he has been Secretary-General.
“Over the past days there has been a “glimmer of hope and humanity” for both hostages and their families, and civilians in Gaza amid the ceasefire.
He noted that before the current ceasefire, we witnessed serious violations of international law in Gaza, he said, with 80 per cent of Gazans now forced from their homes.
Guterrres said rocket attacks on Israel have continued by Palestinian militants along with the use of civilians as human shields: “this is also inconsistent with international humanitarian law obligations”, the UN chief added.
UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland addressed the Security Council after surge in violence and extensive Israeli movement restriction, the Palestinian Authority’s longstanding fiscal crisis have worsened significantly.
He said that the economic activity in the West Bank has ground to a halt and the economy of Gaza, collapsed.
Tor Wennesland, stated that the decrease in revenue for the Palestinian Authority is impacting many critical services and the payment of public sector salaries, including to the security forces.
He warned “the situation is boiling and getting worse rapidly.”
“In the months before the war, I warned this Council regularly, that more must be done to help stabilize the situation in the West Bank, that is more the case now that ever before,” Mr. Wennesland said.
He went on to note that while much is unknown on how this war will end, some absolutes are clear.
“Acts of terror like those Hamas and others committed against Israel on 7 October must not be allowed to happen again, and Palestinians in Gaza in must never ever again experience the horrors they have endured,” he said.
Mr. Wennesland emphasized that the only viable path is one that leads to the end of the occupation and the realizing of a two-State solution in line with UN resolutions, previous agreements and international law.
“Our past efforts have certainly not been enough, a message that resonates today as we mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. There must be a new and different approach, or we are doomed to return to the path of managing a conflict that clearly cannot be managed,” he stated.
He said that the arrangement announced on 22 November has so far led to the release, over 5 days, of 60 hostages – 29 women, 31 children – held by Hamas and other groups since 7 October.
Special envoy added that another 21 hostages were released during the same period. The arrangement also saw the release of 180 Palestinian prisoners and detainees from Israeli jails, mostly women and children.
“This is a welcome start, but as I have been saying from day one, all hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally,” he said.
UN Security Council resolution called On 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.
He said “much, much more is required to begin to address human needs in Gaza.”
Tor Wennesland, reiterated that that includes full restoration of water and electricity services and urgently address the collapse of food systems and deteriorating public health.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the pause has provided a “glimmer of hope”.
“While the work we do in this Chamber is important, often times progress occurs outside these walls,” she said.
She added that, from day one, the United States’ approach has been driven by direct diplomacy.
Ms. Thomas Greenfield said much more humanitarian assistance is needed as well as civilian protection.
“We know Hamas continues to use people as human shields, but this does not lessen Israel’s responsibility to protect civilians under international humanitarian law,” she said.
She welcomed the release of some hostages, said many families are “living in hell.”
US envoy added that “we will not rest until all hostages are released”. As such, the US wants to see the pause extended, she said, adding that “the ball is now in Hamas’s court.”
She expressed her concern that the conflict may spill over, including in Lebanon, together with a rise of settler violence in the West Bank and a spike in dehumanizing rhetoric playing out in anti-Semitic and Islamophobic messages online.
Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said “We need a two-State solution”. “This is the only way to end this cycle of violence once and for all.
“Let us work together. We must commit to diplomacy, and let us do everything possible at long last to deliver on the promise of peace and the hope for a brighter future,” she concluded.
British Minister of State at the Foreign Office, Lord Tariq Ahmad stated that as the world looks to the Middle East, “a tragedy is unfolding in front of our eyes”.
“Israel has suffered the worst terror attack in its history, and Palestinians are experiencing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis as a result of the ensuing Israeli military action,” he said.
He emphasized that every civilian life lost is a tragedy.
“Every life matters Israeli or Palestinian. Every innocent civilian life lost Palestinian or Israeli is a tragedy. Indeed we also collectively mourn the loss of all innocent lives, including those of UN personnel delivering vital lifesaving aid in Gaza,” said Lord Ahmad.
He noted that the past week of military pause had provided a much needed respite and that the agreement was an important opportunity in providing hope to the families of the hostages and for allowing vital humanitarian aid into Gaza.
“But this should not be a one-off. We must collectively build from it,” he urged, stressing “hostages must be released, aid must get in and civilians must be protected.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in his national capacity, that the way out of crisis and conflict is through the two-State solution.
“Dialogue and negotiation is the best way to save lives,” he said.
He added that at this crossroads of war and peace, the international community must work towards finding solution.
“Resumed fighting will most likely turn into a calamity that encompasses the whole region,” he said.
He expressed hope that the pause will be the beginning of a negotiated ceasefire.
Wang Yi stressed that civilians must be protected with more robust actions, and the UN must play a greater role in humanitarian efforts in Gaza, announcing that China will provide another package of aid.
He said only the implementation of the two-State solution can restore peace.
FM called to boost diplomatic efforts in this regard, including restarting direct Israel-Palestine negotiations.
He said that the Security Council should shoulder its responsibility and heed the calls to take further action promptly.
He added that China has submitted a paper on resolving the conflict.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan addressed the Council members and said that Jewish people have experienced genocidal attempts and attacks more than once “from Hitler and the Mufti, and the terror organizations that follow in their footsteps.”
He noted that on 7 October, Hamas unleashed “an unprovoked act of pure evil upon evil upon Israel”, massacring the most Jews in one day since the Holocaust.
“Yet, shockingly, here we are two months later, and Hamas’ savage crimes have still not been condemned by this body [the Security Council] or any other UN body,” he said.
Mr. Erdan stated that Iran armed, funded and trained Hamas, adding that its “central role in the ruin of the region has not even been addressed here.”
“It is not as if Hamas is fighting Israel alone. Hezbollah missiles have been raining down on northern Israeli towns and Iran doesn’t hide its aim of Israel’s destruction,” he said.
He questioned “does Iran’s central role in destabilizing the security of the Middle East not deserve to even be raised here.”
“It is clear that the UN has been co-opted by those that have no real interest in a solution. Every UN body,” he added.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Observer State of Palestine, Riyad Al-Maliki, said a truce must become a ceasefire.
“This is not a war,” he said. “This is a carnage that no one can justify. It must be brought to an end.”
Mr. Al-Maliki added that people must be allowed to go back to their homes.
“Over 15,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel. Over 10,000 of them are women and children. They have been killed by Israel. They did not lose their life; it was taken away. No one is safe in Gaza, not the children, not the doctors, not the humanitarian personnel, not the journalists, not the UN staff. They were killed at an unprecedented pace in modern history,” he said.
“We are at a historic crossroad,” he said.
He said that the protection of Palestinians cannot be ensured by the occupying forces who are complicit in these crimes.
“We need international protection and international action to end impunity so as to prevent the recurrence of these crimes that occur daily and in broad daylight,” he said.
“What our people are enduring now is the result of the international community’s failure to provide such protection and accountability.”
He added that these actions have consequences far beyond the borders of Gaza.
Mr. Al-Maliki said Israel is trying to intimidate those criticizing it and defending the rule of international law across the globe, including governments that consider themselves allies of Israel, the Secretary-General and UN agencies, human rights and humanitarian organizations. Israel is not seeking security.
“If it was, it would choose peace,” he said, adding that Israel, and this Israeli government more than any other, considers that the strategic threat it is confronted with is Palestinian statehood.
“Gaza has a very special place in our national history,” he said. “Its name today is how many people spell Palestine around the world. It cannot be erased. Our people cannot be uprooted from it. Its Palestinianness cannot be altered. There is no Palestine without Gaza. Gaza bleeds, Gaza suffers, Gaza aches, but Gaza lives. And Palestine lives. Free Palestine. That is the only path to peace.”
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, Retno Lestari Priansari Marsudi, welcomed the adoption of Council resolution 2712, as well as the humanitarian pauses and release of hostages and prisoners.
“Out of this small glimpse of peace, we could see hope – families reunited and aid reaching those in desperate need,” she said.
She added that it is not sufficient.
“The humanitarian pause is too narrow and too fragile, and will not be able to create a better situation in Gaza,” she said.
She called on the Security Council to act to preserve trust in the multilateral system, adding that it must ensure that hostility does not return with vengeance. The warring parties must move beyond a humanitarian pause into a durable ceasefire, she said.
“Another day without fighting is a day worth fighting for,” she declared.
She emphasized the importance of the two-State solution, stating that it is the right time to restart the peace process.
“As we honor this year’s International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, let us not turn a blind eye or remain silent to the struggle of the innocent people in Gaza whose only sin is being born Palestinian.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs for Jordan, Ayman Safadi, underscored that ending the Israeli occupation of Palestine is the viable way to ensure peace for Palestinians, Israelis and all others in the region.
“Those who purport to say that this conflict is a religious conflict are lying. They are trying to falsify history and reality,” he said.
He stressed that the conflict continues because of an “unfair occupation and flagrant injustice.”
Ayman Safadi urged the Security Council to make a strong call for a ceasefire and to bring an end to the aggression.
“We demand the international community bring an end to the occupation, to bring an end to the conflict,” he said.
He added “You all support the two-State solution brings an end by definition to the occupation.”
“There is only one viable path to peace that we all want,” he said.
He called the Security Council to adopt a resolution “recognizing the Palestinian independent State with Jerusalem as its capital along the pre-1967 borders.”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar, said Palestinians “have gone through hell” in the past weeks.
He reiterated that Qatar has started close communications with parties to put an end to the bloodshed and ensure the return of hostages.
Al Thani recalled recent high-level negotiations in which Qatar has been central and said an agreement had led to an extension of the pause and the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners. It also paved the way to get more aid into the enclave.
Al-Thani said he looked forward to further action by the Security Council, including a monitoring mechanism to oversee aid distribution. Above all, international humanitarian law must be upheld, without double standards, he stated.
“It is high time to take real measures towards peace,” he said.
“Any attempt to avoid straight forward actions will only lead to an escalation of violence. We call for peace. The region will not enjoy peace and security without the establishment of a Palestinian State.”
Russian envoy to the UN Vassily Nebenzia stated that for over two months now, a conflict of biblical proportions has gripped the Middle East.
“It is no exaggeration to say that it has become one of the most lethal regional conflicts in recent decades,” he said.
He noted the devastating impact on civilians, in particular children.
Nebenzia highlighted the efforts of all humanitarian workers on the ground, risking their lives to deliver vital aid, and paid tribute to those killed.
He questioned the “blatant double standards” of Western delegations vis-à-vis the Palestinian people.
“How many times have Western delegations requested Security Council meetings on Ukraine? The answer is at least twice a month,” he said.
He added “how many times have these delegations requested Security Council meetings on the Middle East? Zero,”?
“Why are you being so timid, or is it that the fate of the Palestinian population is much less interesting for you from a domestic political perspective in your capitals?” he charged.
He noted that it is also time to think about the day after.
“There are many questions about the ways to rebuild Gaza and in general the future long-term solution to the Palestinian question,” he said.
He added that “without a solution to that, it will not be possible to ensure a truly sustainable security situation for Israel.”
“Russia is actively working in this direction,” he said.
French envoy to the UN Nicolas de Rivière said the truce must become permanent through a lasting ceasefire, and all hostages must be released.
He condemned the Hamas attacks against Israel on 7 October, he said the Council must do the same unambiguously and without further delay.
Nicolas de Rivière welcomed the progress in getting aid into Gaza.
He echoed other Council members’ calls for increased access. For its part, France has begun treating wounded Palestinians on its hospital ship and has sent tonnes of aid to Gaza.
Nicolas de Rivière called on Israel to halt settler violence in the Palestinian Occupied Territory, he worried that unless action is taken, the conflict could spill over throughout the region.
“To bring an end to the cycles of violence, there must be a relaunch of a credible peace process,” he said.
“Further procrastination would undoubtedly result in an escalation of violence.”
He said a state for the Palestinians is the only viable way forward.
Maltese ambassador to the UN Vanessa Frazier said “We cannot afford to lose more lives”, said the who led the successful Council resolution negotiations earlier this month.
“We cannot return to further bloodshed and insecurity. It is in this spirit that Malta echoes the Secretary-General’s call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.”
She called on all parties to urge de-escalation and exercise the utmost restraint.
Vanessa Frazier reiterated Malta’s “strong condemnation” of the terror attacks by Hamas, and called for the release of all hostages, immediately and unconditionally. But, countless children caught up in the conflict are continuing to live in “increased anguish and deprivation.”
She said the WHO statement that more now could die from disease than bombing in Gaza, was “gravely concerning, and immediate action is needed to prevent this scenario.”
“Avoiding a regional conflagration is of utmost importance and must be avoided at all costs. It is imperative that we consider a credible foundation for future peace, she added.
She emphasized that Malta reaffirmed its commitment to a two-State Solution along the pre-1967 borders, addressing the legitimate aspirations of both sides, with Jerusalem as the future capital of two States, in line with the relevant Security Council resolutions and internationally agreed parameters.
She said within this dire context and today on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, it remains clear this is the only viable path to peace.
Ghana Deputy Minister for foreign affairs and regional integration, Mavis Nkansah-Boadu, said that events over the past few days remind us all of the consequence of “elusive peace” in the Middle East during the past 75 years.
“As we contemplate a Gaza after tomorrow, we cannot overlook the totality of peace required in Palestine, which demands of the parties their full commitment to seek the narrow and difficult path for a renewed and constructive dialogue on a political horizon,” she said.
She noted absent progress from the international Quartet on Middle East peace and strongly encouraged the Security Council to consider appointing a Special Rapporteur from among its members to unify its position on how to proceed with the two-State solution.
Mavis Nkansah-Boadu said a positive response from donors was essential to keep funding UN aid agencies’ work on the ground and stressed the importance of the UN force working to keep the peace along the ‘blue line’ between Lebanon and Israel.
She emphasized the importance of protecting civilians as a key responsibility of the Council, said that no effort should be spared to de-escalate the conflict and prevent its spread.
Mavis Nkansah-Boadu renewed Ghana’s commitment to support efforts towards lasting peace “and unifying action by all of us”.
Khalifa Shaheen, the United Arab Emirates’ Minister of State said that the current truce is “a sign of hope”.
He expressed his appreciation for the diplomatic efforts of Qatar, the US and Egypt in bringing about the pause.
The envoy stressed the importance of the Council’s resolution this month relating to international law and the release of detainees.
He underlined the relevance of the UN chief’s briefing on progress made regarding aid, he said it was vital to improve aid mechanisms “in a sustained manner and at sufficient scale”.
Khalifa Shaheen said that recent events have demonstrated the need for the international community to stop merely managing this conflict.
“Instead, we must work to revive hope for the possibility of reaching a just, lasting and comprehensive political solution to the Palestinian issue,” he said.
Khalifa Shaheen said that moving forward, a suitable environment must be created for resuming serious negotiations, based on the agreed upon references to achieve a two-State solution, so that these steps begin to be implemented immediately after a ceasefire is reached.
He underscored to achieve sustainable peace will not be possible without ending the Israeli occupation of all Palestinian and Arab territories and to establish an independent Palestinian state, based on the borders of 4 June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with Israel in security, peace and mutual recognition.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called the meeting to order and presided it.
Today is the sixth and final day of a truce between Hamas and Israel that was facilitated by Qatar. Humanitarians have urged the warring sides to support repeated international calls to extend the pause in fighting, which has facilitated the reported release of at least 85 hostages by Hamas, and of more than 180 Palestinian prisoners by Israel.
UN chief António Guterres is expected to report back on the implementation of that 15 November resolution the first expression of unity on the Council over the crisis since the Hamas terror attacks and subsequent Israeli offensive along with Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland.
