New York, May 13 (Petra) – The United Nations Security Council convened on Tuesday to discuss the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, hearing a stark and urgent briefing from Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher.
Fletcher condemned Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territories, stating that it was “deliberately and unabashedly imposing inhumane conditions on civilians.” For over 10 weeks, he said, “nothing has entered Gaza no food, no medicine, no water, no tents.”
He reported that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been repeatedly displaced, trapped in shrinking areas of Gaza, with 70% of the territory either designated as Israeli military zones or under evacuation orders.
“Every one of the 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza is at risk of famine, and one in five is facing starvation,” Fletcher warned. Describing scenes from a recent visit, he said, “Death on this scale has a sound and a smell you cannot forget. Children scream as charred fabric is peeled from their skin.”
Fletcher asserted that Israel is actively obstructing humanitarian aid and prioritizing the depopulation of Gaza over civilian lives. He called on the international community to reject Israel’s proposed distribution mechanism for aid, which he described as “exclusionary, discriminatory, and politically motivated.”
“This plan limits aid to only one part of Gaza while ignoring desperate needs elsewhere. It conditions survival on political terms and uses famine as a bargaining chip. This is not aid it’s a grim spectacle,” he said.
Fletcher reminded the council that UN resolutions demand the protection of civilians and unrestricted humanitarian access. “Israel has clear obligations under international humanitarian law: to treat civilians humanely, uphold their dignity, and refrain from forced displacement,” he emphasized.
He criticized the inadequate implementation of provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and warned that legal proceedings may come too late to save lives. “The ICJ has issued clear provisional measures, but they remain unenforced,” he said.
Turning to the West Bank, Fletcher said violence there had reached its worst levels in decades, citing heavy military operations, demolitions, displacement, and the expansion of illegal settlements. “Entire communities have been wiped out,” he said, recounting the abduction of two young Palestinian children by settlers a 13-year-old girl and her 3-year-old brother who were found tied to a tree.
He also condemned attacks on humanitarian workers and journalists, adding, “We are your eyes and ears. If we fail to act, we must fear the judgment of history.”
Fletcher concluded with a call to action: “Let humanity, law, and reason prevail. Demand an end to this. Stop arming it. Insist on accountability.”
He directly addressed Israeli authorities, urging them, “Stop killing and injuring civilians. Lift this brutal siege. Let humanitarian workers save lives.”
“For those who will not survive what is coming before our eyes,” he said solemnly, “there will be no comfort in knowing that future generations might hold us accountable in this chamber.”
//Petra// AF
13/05/2025 23:33:47
