S/PV.9781 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Israel and Lebanon to participate in this meeting. I propose that the Council invite the Permanent Observer of the Observer State of Palestine to the United Nations to participate in the meeting, in accordance with the provisional rules of procedure and the previous practice in this regard. There being no objection, it is so decided. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Ms. Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights; Mr. Rein Paulsen, Director, Office of Emergencies and Resilience, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; and Ms. Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I give the floor to Ms. Brands Kehris. Ms. Brands Kehris: The humanitarian and human rights situation for Palestinian civilians across Gaza is catastrophic. According to figures verified by our Office, close to 70 per cent of those killed in Gaza by strikes, shelling and other hostilities were children and women. The age group most represented in verified fatalities was children from 5 to 9 years old. According to the Ministry of Health of the State of Palestine, at least 43,000 people have been killed since the horrific attacks by Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups on Israel on 7 October 2023. More than 100,000 people have been injured. These numbers are likely to be a serious understatement, as many of those killed and injured remain under the rubble. Nearly 1.9 million people have been displaced, many repeatedly, including pregnant women, people with disabilities, older people and children. Israeli strikes on shelters and residential buildings continue to kill unconscionable numbers of civilians: women, men, young and old. Attacks on so-called “safe zones” prove that nowhere in Gaza is safe. Monitoring by our Office indicates that this unprecedented level of killing and injuring of civilians is a direct consequence of the parties’ choices of methods and means of warfare and of their failure to comply with fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. The pattern of strikes indicate that the Israel Defense Forces have systematically violated fundamental principles of international humanitarian law  — distinction, proportionality and precautions — in attack. Palestinian armed groups have also conducted hostilities in ways that have likely contributed to harm to civilians. Israel’s conduct of hostilities has destroyed Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, including places that have protected status under international law: hospitals, schools and vital services, including electricity, water and sewage. That contributes directly to the famine risk being discussed today. Israel has killed hundreds of medical personnel, civilian police, journalists and humanitarian aid workers, including more than 220 of our own United Nations staff. Thousands of Palestinians have been taken from Gaza to Israel, usually shackled and blindfolded, to be held incommunicado. Meanwhile, there is constant and continued interference with the entry and distribution of humanitarian assistance, which has fallen to some of the lowest levels in a year. As the occupying Power, Israel is obliged under international law to protect Palestinian civilians and to provide them with supplies essential to their survival. Yet the cumulative impact of more than a year of destruction in Gaza has taken an enormous toll. Basic services for Palestinians in Gaza, the fabric of society, have been decimated. Conditions of life, particularly in northern Gaza, are increasingly not fit for survival. Turning specifically to the situation in northern Gaza, the latest report from the respected and independent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warns that there is a strong likelihood that famine is imminent. The horrific possibility cannot be separated from the unrelenting attacks on the human rights of civilians there. Over the past five weeks, the Israeli military has conducted strikes that have led to massive civilian fatalities in northern Gaza, particularly impacting women, children, older people, the sick and people with disabilities, many of whom are reportedly trapped by Israeli military restrictions and attacks on escape routes. The pattern and the frequency of the reported attacks suggest the systematic targeting of locations known, or which should have been known, as sheltering significant numbers of civilians, coupled with the continued use of weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas. We have warned repeatedly that that has led to disproportionate civilian fatalities. The Israeli military has also conducted repeated attacks on the three major hospitals in the area and other vital infrastructure, while unlawfully restricting the entry and distribution of humanitarian assistance to northern Gaza. Already, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights had documented how, by April, the severe restrictions imposed by Israel on the entry and distribution of goods and services necessary for the survival of the civilian population brought the risk of famine and starvation to Gaza. We once again recall that the use of starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law. Just recently, the High Commissioner for Human Rights presented a detailed analysis of violations between November 2023 and April 2024. The report’s conclusions call for a reckoning with the serious allegations of violations of international law. The manner in which the Israeli military is conducting operations in northern Gaza suggests not only that Israel’s actions are seeking to empty northern Gaza of Palestinians, by displacing survivors to the south, but also points to further grave risks of atrocities of the most serious nature. Palestinian armed groups must also comply with international humanitarian law, including refraining from deliberately co-locating military objectives with civilians and civilian infrastructure, and they must take all feasible precautions to protect the civilian population under their control from the effects of attacks. But failure by Palestinian armed groups to comply with international humanitarian law does not remove or reduce the obligation of Israeli forces to comply. All States, consistent with their obligations under international law, must therefore assess arms sales or transfers and the provision of military, logistical or financial support to a party to the conflict, with a view to ending such support if it risks serious violations of international law. As the High Commissioner has repeatedly said, the violence must stop immediately. The hostages and those arbitrarily detained must be released. We must rush humanitarian aid into Gaza by all routes and restore essential services immediately. And there must be accountability  — due reckoning with respect to the allegations of serious violations of international law  — through credible and impartial judicial bodies. The risks are very real and very immediate. The IPC has called for action in days, not weeks. We call on the Council to take all steps within its powers under the Charter of the United Nations to influence the parties to end violations, facilitate impartial humanitarian access and protect civilians. This horrific war must end. In line with the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion and General Assembly resolution ES-10/24, Israel must end its continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, as rapidly as possible, allowing the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination. The only sustainable solution to the conflict is by forging a path that gives Palestinians and Israelis the chance to live side by side in peace, equality and dignity.

I thank Ms. Brands Kehris for her briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. Paulsen. Mr. Paulsen: The food security situation in northern Gaza is dire, and the latest indications are deeply troubling. Already in October, nearly 133,000 people faced catastrophic food insecurity, and the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report released on 17 October warned that, under a reasonable worst-case scenario, a risk of famine existed for the whole of the Gaza Strip between November 2024 and April 2025. It also projected that the population classified in IPC phase 5, which is catastrophe, would nearly triple in the coming months. As emphasized by Assistant Secretary-General Brands Kehris, there is nothing reasonable in what has unfolded in recent weeks. The conflict has intensified, and so has the damage to objects indispensable to civilian survival. Last Friday, the independent Famine Review Committee issued an alert following significant developments since the conclusion of the previous IPC analysis. The Famine Review Committee found a strong likelihood that famine is occurring, or imminent, in areas within the northern Gaza Strip. Men, women, boys and girls are effectively starving as the conflict rages, with humanitarian organizations blocked from delivering assistance to those in need. Agrifood systems have collapsed in the Gaza Strip. Local food production has been decimated. Recent geospatial analyses indicate that nearly 70 per cent of the cropland, which had contributed up to one third of daily consumption, has been damaged or destroyed since the escalation in hostilities started last year. Likewise, animal production has been devastated, with almost 95 per cent of cattle and more than half of sheep and goat herds now dead. The animal losses have both removed access to critical and nutritious sources of protein and milk, as well as devastated peoples’ livelihoods. The satellite images from recent geospatial assessments indicate that heavy vehicle tracks, razing, shelling and other conflict-related pressures have damaged large areas of farmland, infrastructure, wells and other productive infrastructure for agricultural activities in the Gaza Strip. Khan Younis has the largest and most impacted cultivated area in terms of surface area, while north Gaza has the highest proportion of damage per governorate. It is important to highlight that, prior to 7 October 2023, Gaza was largely self-sufficient in vegetables, eggs, fresh milk, poultry and fish. Local agriculture also produced much of the red meat and fresh fruits consumed inside Gaza. Domestic production of the fresh, nutritious, but perishable, foods meant that Gazan children nutrition outcomes were similar to those of children in middle-income countries, despite high levels of food insecurity. Local agriculture is, first and foremost, crucial to providing balanced nutrition for the entire population. It is also a source of income and provides a dignified life for those working in the agricultural and food production sector. A functioning local agrifood system is crucial to minimize the concerning levels of acute food insecurity and malnutrition across the Gaza Strip. The significant levels of damage to agrifood systems are exacerbating the humanitarian and hunger crisis on the ground and increasing the risk of famine. Food supply across the entire Gaza Strip has sharply deteriorated, while food availability is at an all-time low. When people cannot produce or access food, they will suffer increasingly extreme levels of acute malnutrition. People in Gaza have been experiencing that for more than a year. This is the fifth time that the Famine Review Committee has met in one year  — a first in the history of the IPC  — on the situation in the Gaza Strip. We still can  — and must  — save lives. This is a humanitarian imperative, and it is our moral responsibility. People urgently need food, water, medical aid and other essential humanitarian assistance. By the time that famine has been declared, people are already dying of hunger, with irreversible consequences that can last generations. The window of opportunity to deliver that assistance is now, today, not tomorrow. Alongside food assistance, agricultural aid is vitally needed to restore the availability of highly nutritious food, prevent the sector’s total collapse, preserve remaining agricultural livelihoods and curb acute hunger and malnutrition. Gaza’s farmers, fishers and livestock owners are risking their lives to continue production, but that is becoming impossible owing to the restrictions and bans on imports of food production inputs and the substantial damage inflicted on production infrastructure. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is ready to further scale up its efforts to respond to and mitigate famine and prevent its spread in the Gaza Strip, through additional support for remaining livestock, and enable local food production where possible. Today we renew the call for urgent diplomatic efforts from across the international community to address conflict-induced food insecurity, including famine in the Gaza Strip, and for Council members to remind all parties to the conflict of their responsibility to protect civilian infrastructure critical to the delivery of humanitarian aid and ensure the proper functioning of agrifood systems and markets in situations of armed conflict, with respect to adhering to obligations under international humanitarian law. Immediate and unlimited safe access to people who are in need is indispensable for saving lives and preventing famine. A ceasefire is urgently needed. We cannot forget that peace is a prerequisite for food security, and the right to food is a fundamental human right.

I thank Mr. Paulsen for his briefing. I now give the floor to Ms. Msuya. Ms. Msuya: I thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to brief the Security Council on the catastrophic situation in Gaza. I also thank our colleagues from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. We unequivocally share the serious concerns they have expressed today. Since the escalation of this conflict in October 2023, we have briefed the Council on no fewer than 16 occasions. We have condemned the death, destruction and dehumanization of civilians in Gaza who have been driven from their homes, stripped of their sense of place and dignity, forced to witness their family members killed, burned and buried alive. Injured children have had the words “wounded child, no surviving family”, penned on their arms. Most of Gaza is now a wasteland of rubble. What distinction was made, and what precautions were taken, if more than 70 per cent of civilian housing is either damaged or destroyed? Essential commercial goods and services, including electricity, have been all but cut off. That has led to increasing hunger, starvation and now, as we have heard, potentially famine. We are witnessing acts reminiscent of the gravest international crimes. The most recent offensive that Israel started in northern Gaza last month is an intensified, extreme and accelerated version of the horrors of the past year. Shelters, homes and schools have been burned and bombed to the ground. Numerous families remain trapped under rubble, because fuel for digging equipment is being blocked by the Israeli authorities and first responders have been blocked from reaching them. Ambulances have been destroyed, and hospitals have come under attack. Supplies to the north are being cut off, and people are being pushed further south. The daily cruelty we see in Gaza seems to have no limits. Beit Hanoun has been besieged for more than one month. Yesterday, food and water reached shelters, but today, Israeli soldiers forcibly displaced people from those same areas. People under siege now tell us that they are afraid that they will be targeted if they receive help. As I brief the Council, Israeli authorities are blocking humanitarian assistance from entering northern Gaza, where fighting continues, and approximately 75,000 people remain with dwindling water and food supplies. Conditions of life across Gaza are unfit for human survival. Food is insufficient. Shelter items, needed ahead of winter, are in extremely short supply. Violent armed lootings of our convoys have become increasingly organized along routes from Kerem Shalom, driven by the collapse of public order and safety. Many food assistance kitchens have been forced to close. In October, daily food distribution shrunk by nearly 25 per cent compared to September. These are not logistical problems; they can be solved with the right political will. The Israeli military’s announcement that the Kissufim crossing into central Gaza has opened cannot come soon enough. However, our capacity to respond is being undermined, including by the Israeli Knesset legislation to ban the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East starting in January. If implemented, this bill will be another devastating blow to efforts to provide life-saving aid and avert the threat of famine. No other organization can fill those gaps. We also remain concerned about the deteriorating situation of Palestinians in the West Bank. Israeli forces continue to employ lethal tactics that appear to defy law enforcement standards, and they are causing damage to water and sewage networks and other infrastructure. The demolition of Palestinian-owned homes also continues. On 5 November, nine homes were demolished in the Silwan area outside Jerusalem’s Old City, displacing 42 people, nearly half of them children, to make way for an illegal settlement-related project. Israeli settlers continue attacks on Palestinians and their property, with more than 160 incidents related to the olive harvest documented in October alone, the majority resulting in casualties or property damage. Movement restrictions are making civilian access to essential services, in particular healthcare, increasingly challenging in refugee camps and in Area C, where humanitarian partners are scaling up to support communities in meeting needs. The most basic requirements of humanity are being disregarded. Those are requirements that members of the Council, and indeed all Member States, set out in international humanitarian and human rights law. They must be respected. Constant care must be taken to spare civilians throughout military operations. Civilians must be allowed to seek protection elsewhere, and they must be guaranteed the right to voluntarily return, as international law demands. Reports indicating that people would not be allowed to return should be of grave concern to the Council. Parties must ensure that civilians’ essential needs are met and must facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access to those in need, wherever they are. Hostages and those arbitrarily detained must be released immediately and, in the interim, they must be treated humanely and allowed visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Indiscriminate rocket fire towards Israel must stop. There must be accountability for international crimes. The provisional orders of the International Court of Justice in the case of the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel) and the determinations in its advisory opinion of July 2024 must be implemented now. Now is the time for Member States to use their leverage to prevent and stop violations of international humanitarian law by exerting diplomatic and economic pressure, ensuring responsible arms transfer and combating impunity. Now is the time for the Security Council to use its powers under the Charter of the United Nations to ensure compliance with international law and the full implementation of its resolutions.

I thank Ms. Msuya for her briefing. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom. I thank Assistant Secretary-General Brands Kehris, Acting Under-Secretary-General Msuya and Mr. Paulsen for their briefings. Gaza is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe, with more than 43,000 Palestinians killed, hospitals and roads destroyed and winter approaching. We must see an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages. Ending the war is the best way to stop the suffering. The humanitarian situation is intolerable, and we need to act immediately to improve it. Aid deliveries last month were the lowest since the conflict began, and now imminent famine looms over northern Gaza while food and other life-saving supplies are stuck at the border. That is appalling. It is completely unacceptable that the trucks, humanitarian workers and medics funded by the international community are unable to travel the last few miles to reach civilians. The Famine Review Committee has issued a shocking and urgent warning that Israel must heed and act on today. As the Committee put it, it is abundantly clear that a worst-case scenario is now playing out in areas of northern Gaza, where starvation, malnutrition and deaths are believed to be rising fast. Time has run out and urgent solutions are required now to prevent the very worst from unfolding. There is no excuse for the Israeli Government’s ongoing restrictions on humanitarian assistance. They fly in the face of Israel’s public commitments. Let me make it clear that my Government condemns those restrictions in the strongest terms. We are therefore calling on Israel to finally and immediately make good on its commitment to flooding Gaza with aid. We want to see a greater variety and quantity of essential items surging in, including food, water, fuel and medicine. Israel must urgently enable safe and effective aid distribution. That includes repairing roads to deliver aid and enabling uninterrupted access to northern Gaza from southern Gaza. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected. Evacuation orders should be rescinded as soon as possible so families can return home, and humanitarians must be able to work safely and effectively. The United Nations and its agencies must be able to fulfil their mandate. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) remains the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza and provides essential basic services. The international community has been clear that Israel must not undermine UNRWA’s role and must meet all legal obligations as the occupying Power. We cannot allow famine to take hold. There is no time to waste. The international community must now act as one and work with Israel to take every possible measure to prevent that disaster. I resume my functions as President of the Council. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.

I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this briefing. I also thank Assistant Secretary-General Brands Kehris, Acting Under-Secretary-General Msuya and Mr. Paulsen for the information provided. Today we are meeting to once again discuss the horrific state of food insecurity in the Gaza Strip. Sadly, it is not because food is unavailable, but because there is deliberate action to prevent it from reaching civilians who are in dire need — a human-made catastrophe. The outlook for the next few months is equally disturbing. I shudder to think what a mother tells her hungry child who is too weak even to cry. The combination of an incessant bombing campaign, repeated displacement and limited or no access to food, medicine or water has created a firestorm of hunger, malnutrition and disease. The recent statistics provided by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification and its Famine Review Committee reveal the harrowing details of what innocent civilians  — many of them hapless children and infants — are enduring in Gaza. The entire population is experiencing emergency levels of acute food insecurity. If the conflict continues to intensify and expand, along with evacuation orders and the non-entry of humanitarian goods, there is a risk of famine in the entire Gaza Strip. In northern Gaza, several areas have been under siege since the beginning of October, and according to the Famine Review Committee, famine is most likely imminent. All of that is human-made and should spur the Council to immediate action to halt the systematic and calculated annihilation of innocent Palestinian civilians by starvation. Guyana listened carefully to today’s briefers, and what we heard further reinforced the conclusion that has been expressed on many other occasions that the apocalyptic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is entirely attributable to persistent violations of international law, including international humanitarian law. That is evidenced by the non-compliance with resolutions adopted by the Council, with which all Member States are duty-bound to comply, and with the order of provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice in January, March and May. Guyana therefore reiterates its call on the Government of Israel, the occupying Power, whose responsibility it is to ensure the welfare of the Palestinian people, to immediately cease those violations of its legal obligations. In that context, Guyana has noted several extremely concerning trends that are highlighted in the Famine Review Committee report. They either contribute to the state of food insecurity in the Gaza Strip or intersect with contributing factors to further exacerbate the problem. First, we note the repeated evacuation orders in the north since October. Reports also indicate that with the intensified fighting in the north, many civilians were trapped in their homes, unable to leave. Further, some attempting to leave were reportedly being shot at. Secondly, the number of aid shipments being allowed into Gaza is currently at its lowest since October 2023. The weekly updates provided by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs show that denials of requests for humanitarian access, as well as incidents of impeded access, are significantly higher, while the number of requests facilitated continues to dwindle. Consequently, though humanitarian assistance is available, it is not allowed to reach civilians, who are in desperate need. Thirdly, as civilians waste away from hunger, malnutrition and disease, there is a simultaneous and steady pummelling of what remains of the healthcare infrastructure, including medical personnel. Consequently, access to healthcare is severely depleted at a time when it is most desperately needed. In the light of the foregoing, Guyana wishes to again highlight the following. The war in Gaza must end immediately and without conditions. We reiterate our call for a ceasefire now. Israel, as the occupying Power, must scrupulously comply with its legal obligations to ensure the well-being of the civilians in Gaza. It is illegal to deny the population sustenance and healthcare and to take actions meant to physically destroy the population. The systematic confluence of factors to maximize the impact of the humanitarian hardships to which Palestinians are subject must be dismantled. The campaign against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which culminated, in the first instance, in the passage of the 28 October legislation, is one such factor that the United Nations must do all in its power to confront. Finally, after a year of senseless killing and maiming, the war on Gaza has reinforced the fact that weapons of pain cannot produce peace — not for Israelis, certainly not for Palestinians and not for the Middle East. To the contrary, the path to peace still remains the two-State solution, and circumventing that path will continually lead to a place of war and pain. It is time to end the cycle once and for all. Guyana is prepared to work with the Council to that end.

I would also like to thank the Assistant Secretary- General for Human Rights, the Acting Under-Secretary- General for Humanitarian Affairs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Director of the Office of Emergencies and Resilience of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for their briefings, which are profoundly alarming. The information that we have just heard comes on top of the recent joint appeal by United Nations agencies on the increasingly acute humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the alert issued by the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). That is why my country, together with our colleagues from Guyana, Algeria and Slovenia requested this emergency meeting, and we are grateful to the United Kingdom for having placed it on the agenda so swiftly. Switzerland also thanks all the humanitarian workers, who are continuing to carry out their mission while risking their own lives, as famine threatens Gaza, particularly in the north. By adopting resolution 2417 (2018), the Council acknowledged the nexus between armed conflict, food insecurity and the risk of famine. In so doing, it also underscored the duty of all parties to conflicts to discharge their duties under international humanitarian and international human rights law, in particular those that affect food security. Nearly eight months ago, the Council met (see S/PV.9560) within the framework provided by resolution 2417 (2018), following an appeal by OCHA, which had set out recommendations to resolve the already dire situation at the time. The implementation of those recommendations is all the more urgent today, given that food insecurity has become much more acute. Switzerland is deeply concerned at the alert issued by the IPC about imminent famine, despite repeated appeals to the parties to the conflict. They have an obligation to authorize and facilitate rapid, unimpeded humanitarian access to all civilians in need. As the occupying Power, Israel must also do its utmost to ensure that the basic needs of the inhabitants of Gaza are met. It bears recalling that the use of starvation as a method of warfare is strictly prohibited by international humanitarian law and constitutes a war crime, for which those responsible will be held accountable. Given the situation and in line with the recommendations heard this afternoon and the IPC’s alert, Switzerland wishes to underscore the following urgent measures. First, it is imperative and urgent that a ceasefire agreement finally be reached. Resolutions 2728 (2024) and 2735 (2024) so demand. We also call for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages. Switzerland is actively involved in negotiations on a draft resolution put forward by the elected members of the Council. Secondly, Switzerland calls on all parties to immediately take concrete and effective measures to spare and protect the civilian population in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law, which includes — I repeat — a prohibition on using starvation as a method of warfare against the civilian population, a prohibition on attacking, destroying, removing or rendering useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population and a duty to allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief to civilians in need. Humanitarian workers must be respected and protected  — as resolution 2730 (2024) reaffirms  — and they include local workers, in particular United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and International Committee of the Red Cross staff. Thirdly, the delivery of commercial food supplies to all areas must be guaranteed, so that local markets can be restored. Humanitarian aid alone cannot meet the needs of more than 2 million people. In that connection, Switzerland further underlines the crucial role played by local staff of humanitarian agencies and the pivotal role of UNRWA in providing essential services beyond humanitarian aid. The scientific data presented demands that we take action. Switzerland, as the Council’s unofficial focal point on conflict and hunger, together with Guyana, urges all members of the Council to shoulder their responsibilities, as resolution 2417 (2018) requires. We must find a solution that can finally bring the human suffering to an end, and we must rekindle prospects for peace as a matter of urgency.

First, allow me to thank you, Madam President, for convening this important meeting. I would also like to extend our appreciation to Ms. Brands Kehris, Mr. Paulsen and Ms. Msuya for their insights into this critical issue. The worsening situation in Gaza, tragically, was foreseeable, with famine now ravaging the already suffering Palestinian population. Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly sounded the alarm, issuing urgent warnings as the international community remains unable to halt the oppression by the occupying Israeli forces. As President Abdelmadjid Tebboune stated, this aggression clearly illustrates the international community’s failure to enforce universally applicable rules. The catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza is not incidental but rather a consequence of a deliberate man-made policy of deprivation imposed by the occupying Power. As noted by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food, “On 9 October 2023, Israel announced its starvation campaign against Gaza. By December, Palestinians in Gaza made up 80 per cent of the people in the world experiencing famine or catastrophic hunger. Never in post-war history had a population been made to go hungry so quickly and so completely” (A/79/171, para. 1). That chilling report underscores the gravity of the deprivation inflicted on Palestinians, particularly in northern Gaza, where people are literally dying from starvation  — from famine. That is a clear use of starvation as a method of war, which constitutes a war crime. Words cannot capture the horror that civilians in Gaza are enduring right now, especially in the north. The intention behind these policies has become starkly clear. It is to empty northern Gaza of its inhabitants. That is not mere speculation but reflects an established, recognized policy openly acknowledged by Israel and systematically aimed at displacing Palestinians from the area. The Israel Defense Forces have clearly stated that “Palestinians will not be allowed to return to their homes in northern Gaza”. That stance blatantly violates Security Council resolutions, including resolution 2735 (2024), which guarantees the right of displaced persons to return to their homes. On 6 October, with a view to making its decision effective, Israel declared the northern Gaza Strip a combat zone, ordering all civilians to evacuate. Médecins Sans Frontières reported that its staff are trapped in Jabalia, stating that “Nobody is allowed to get in or out. Anyone who tries is getting shot.” During October, civilians in northern Gaza have been under siege, with no confirmed food deliveries. Those attempting to obtain aid have been targeted. The situation throughout the entire Gaza Strip is appalling. Despite the repeated calls of the international community and the Council’s adoption of a number of resolutions, and despite the existing established mechanisms, only 37 trucks entered Gaza per day in the month of October, compared to more than 500 last year. October saw the lowest levels of humanitarian access to Gaza to date. To make things worse, the Israeli authorities have not issued a single authorization for importing commercial food. Amid the crisis, the Israeli occupying authorities decided to halt the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in the occupied Palestinian territory. That constitutes another act of collective punishment of the Palestinian people, who are entirely dependent on those services for its survival, further compounding their suffering and denying them their right to life and dignity. The lives of children, women and the elderly — in fact of every civilian in northern Gaza — are at imminent risk. Those people cannot be left to face alone an occupying Israeli Power that disregards all the rules and responsibilities concerning human lives. Let me remind members that the Israeli Finance Minister stated that “it may be just and moral” to starve the 2 million residents of Gaza. We, as members of the Council, must uphold our moral and legal obligations. The draft resolution to be presented by the Council’s 10 elected members, coordinated by Guyana, demands immediate adoption. There is no time to waste. The latest report by the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report warns that “[f]ailure to respond to these calls within the next few days will result in a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation and additional, avoidable, civilian deaths.” The Council must act now  — decisively  — to impose an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in order to end the collective punishment of the Palestinian people in Gaza and uphold our commitment to international humanitarian law.

I too would like to thank Assistant Secretary-General Brands Kehris, Director Paulsen and Acting Under-Secretary-General Msuya for their briefings. Today’s meeting is taking place in the light of the latest alert on Gaza published by the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, with a particular focus on the northern Gaza Strip. It is not the first meeting that we are holding on human-made hunger in Gaza, nor is it the first meeting on the catastrophic human-made circumstances in northern Gaza. A siege is unfolding within a siege, verging on an apocalyptic situation, as has been recently described by the humanitarian agencies present on the scene. The protection of civilians is not a political issue but a non-negotiable principle and a legal obligation. We should therefore take this alert seriously. Let me make this very straightforward. People in Gaza are starving. Women and men, from children to older persons, are hungry, while 100,000 metric tons of food await entry in different corridors around Gaza. Famine in Gaza is predictable and it is — I repeat — man-made and preventable. The worst-case scenario, with the onset of winter and flooding expected in the low-lying coastal Strip, looms over a displaced population without basic shelter, surrounded by wastewater, solid waste and debris. Demolished water facilities expose people to contaminated water resources and decimate local food production. We fail to understand how anyone cannot feel the horrible pain of Palestinians in Gaza. As underlined by the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, and as just recalled by my colleague from Algeria, never in post-world-war history has a population been made to go hungry so quickly, and as completely, as is the case of the Palestinians living in Gaza. Man-made famine is a form of slow violence, causing lasting physical and psychosocial harm to survivors. It generates social trauma, which passes to future generations. More immediately, we are deeply concerned for this generation of children. Stories of children in Gaza unable to cry owing to hunger should force us to act now. Their silence must be deafening for their families, their doctors and their communities. The only silence louder is that of the Council not acting to prevent the worst from happening. We call for full implementation of all four Security Council resolutions related to the war, and all International Court of Justice orders on provisional measures. We underline that starvation as a method of warfare is prohibited by international law. We reject all attempts to starve Palestinians in Gaza. More than a year into the war, we cannot accept assurances implying that everything possible is being done to protect the civilian population in Gaza. That is simply not true. The Council must demand the urgent scaling up of the delivery of humanitarian assistance to and within Gaza. The Council must demand the urgent scaling up of the delivery of commercial goods. The Council must demand full humanitarian access and appropriate space and safety to be granted to humanitarian organizations, both intergovernmental and non-governmental ones. The Council must demand the rapid recovery of local food systems and the recovery of water, sanitation and hygiene systems. The Council must demand an unconditional release of all hostages. To use the words of the briefers, the time for the Council’s action is now, within days, not weeks. Any effort to prevent famine in Gaza is inherently connected to the situation of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The Agency is the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza. Its collapse would have unimaginable consequences for people in Gaza. There is no alternative to UNRWA. There is nobody in Gaza that can replace UNRWA. That has been expressed very clearly by all United Nations agencies and humanitarian organizations, and again today by the briefers. We urge the Israeli Government not to implement the legislation recently adopted by the Knesset. This alert is a wake-up call. Failure to ensure peace in the Middle East cannot be an excuse to fail to protect civilians in the region. We have a responsibility to protect them. The humanitarian situation in itself has become a threat to international peace and security, and the Council must act, with a clear decision on a ceasefire.

I would like to thank Algeria, Guyana, Slovenia and Switzerland for requesting this meeting. I appreciate the briefings on the harrowing situation in the Gaza Strip. Malta is extremely concerned about the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification’s declaration of the strong likelihood of famine in the besieged northern areas of Gaza. Food systems have collapsed, and aid deliveries are being withheld. This man-made famine is the result of direct actions by the Israeli Government, and it is leading to the suffering of millions in Gaza. All told, we are facing a human rights crisis all throughout Gaza and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Today the entirety of Gaza’s population is facing emergency levels of food insecurity. Tens of thousands of people are being forcibly displaced from north Gaza, in violation of international law. As recalled by the heads of United Nations agencies last week, the situation we are facing in the north is apocalyptic. The persistent actions undertaken by Israel to dismantle the vital operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in the entire occupied Palestinian territory will collapse the humanitarian response in Gaza and gravely exacerbate this catastrophe. We reiterate our long-standing and unwavering position. The Agency is irreplaceable. It serves as a stabilizing force in the region and a vital source of support for Palestinians. It is the backbone of humanitarian assistance to generations of Palestinian refugees, and its work remains essential. The recommendations for immediate action made by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification must be heeded. Israel must allow immediate, unimpeded access for the delivery of adequate food, water, medical and nutritional supplies into and throughout Gaza. The siege of northern Gaza must end. It must facilitate repairs to health facilities, water and sanitation infrastructure and the passage of vital materials required to meet the basic needs of the population. Those requirements are binding legal obligations and are neither arbitrary nor negotiable. They are in accordance with Israel’s responsibilities under the Fourth Geneva Convention and international humanitarian and human rights law. The Council has a responsibility to ensure the maintenance of international peace and security. Inaction and political paralysis are not an option. The world, especially the people of Gaza, are expecting us to rise to the obligations and responsibilities entrusted to us. The draft resolution led by the 10 elected members of the Council would finally address the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza and the immense suffering of the Gazan population, by demanding an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and the release of hostages. It would also demand Israel’s unhindered facilitation of humanitarian assistance, at scale, to the people of Gaza. That is the only pathway to averting this famine. There is no alternative. For more than a year, we have heard the United Nations, every humanitarian agency and every human rights group sound the alarm. What we are witnessing in Gaza is a defenceless civilian population sheltering in and around schools, hospitals and aid distribution sites. They must be protected, and Israel’s attacks against them should cease immediately. The situation is completely untenable, and there is no more time to waste.

I thank you, Madam President, for convening this important meeting. I would also like to thank Assistant Secretary-General Brands Kehris, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Director Paulsen and Acting Under-Secretary-General Msuya for their sobering and sombre briefings. Since the brutal terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israeli citizens in October 2023 and the ensuing massive military operations by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the world has been witnessing numerous breaches of international humanitarian law. Hamas and other groups murdered innocent civilians and still hold 100 or so hostages, either living or dead. They are continuing rocket attacks on Israeli population centres, shielding themselves in Palestinian civilian infrastructure. However, one party’s non-observance, even if it is deemed to be a terrorist group, does not provide any legitimate ground for another party’s failure to comply with international law for 13 months straight. Regardless of intent, when breaches of international humanitarian law happen, no justification can be given. Numerous times, Council members have underlined that humanitarian aid must be ensured and that starvation must not be employed as a method of warfare. And the IDF has repeatedly claimed that it operates in accordance with international law. Let us be clear: article 55 to the Fourth Geneva Convention provides that the occupying Power has the duty of ensuring the food and medical supplies of the population. In the current situation, with Gaza entirely controlled by the IDF, it is undoubtedly the obligation of Israel, not that of the United Nations or the remnants of the de facto regime in Gaza, to ensure the necessary food and medical goods for Palestinian civilians. The Integrated Food Security Phase (IPC) Famine Review Committee’s alert last week, citing the IPC report in October, clearly shows that Israel is not doing enough as famine is now imminent in the north. It is also extremely alarming that the entire Gaza Strip is classified in IPC phase 4, an emergency level. Israel must protect civilians and permit the entry of sufficient humanitarian cargo into Gaza. But its obligation does not end there. Israel should actively facilitate the delivery of aid throughout Gaza, and displaced civilians must be permitted to return to their homes as soon as possible. Therefore, we condemn Israeli military officials’ reckless and inflammatory rhetoric, reported last week, that “no one will be allowed to return to the northern area, and no humanitarian aid will be allowed there, because there are no civilians left in the area”. Those remarks are clearly inconsistent with the current reality of northern Gaza, where numerous civilians have no choice but to stay as a result of injury, lack of safety, age or no guarantee of security to move to other areas following multiple displacements. Such remarks can also be read as an acknowledgement of violations of article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which provides that persons shall be transferred back to their homes as soon as hostilities have ceased. Any attempt at demographic or territorial change in Gaza, including the call by Israeli politicians for resettling in Gaza, must be rejected. In spite of the four resolutions adopted by the Council, the conflict in Gaza continues to be prolonged, and repeated violations of international humanitarian law have persisted. There should be no delay in ending the current conflict. Therefore, the Republic of Korea strongly calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Hostages still being held must be immediately released. That is the only way to guarantee the mass delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza and to prepare a serious reconstruction plan. We hope that another Council product to that end can soon be adopted and implemented. Lastly, we reiterate that there is no substitute for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Without UNRWA, the entire burden of guaranteeing the provision of all public services, such as education and health, throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, would be borne by Israel. International humanitarian law is clear. Israel, as the occupying Power under the Geneva Convention, must seriously consider all its obligations once again.

I thank you, Madam President, for convening this briefing. I also thank Under-Secretary-General Brands Kehris, Acting Under-Secretary-General Msuya and Director Paulsen for their briefings. Ecuador, which, together with Ireland, co-chairs the Group of Friends Against Hunger and Conflict, is deeply concerned about food insecurity in Gaza. Last February, we held a meeting in which we discussed the critical situation in the northern Gaza Strip as a result of the conflict (see S/PV.9556). Regrettably, as evidenced by the alert issued by the Famine Review Committee, the situation has deteriorated steadily and rapidly in recent months, to the point that famine thresholds may already have been surpassed or are close to being surpassed. Factors precipitating a veritable humanitarian catastrophe are the displacement of civilian populations due to hostilities, the collapse of the food system, the destruction of healthcare and nutrition facilities and other civilian infrastructure and the operational difficulties faced by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Alarming statistics on levels of food insecurity are pointing to a worst-case scenario in northern Gaza, characterized by hunger and increasing mortality caused by malnutrition and disease and affecting mainly vulnerable groups, such as women, children and the elderly. In view of the rate at which food security is deteriorating  — a state of affairs that requires an extremely urgent response  — Ecuador supports the recommendations put forward by the Famine Review Committee, which highlight the link between hunger and conflict. In that vein, my delegation underlines the following points. First, Ecuador urges all parties to take concrete measures to protect the civilian population and to comply with international humanitarian law, including resolution 2417 (2018). Secondly, and as recognized in the June 2024 report, the situation can be reversed by bringing in and distributing food supplies. It is therefore urgent to allow humanitarian access and to fully implement resolutions 2712 (2023), 2720 (2023) and 2735 (2024). Thirdly, while actions to address the humanitarian needs of the population are essential and urgent, Ecuador insists that lasting peace is the only sustainable response to the risk of hunger. The ceasefire and the release of hostages are the first steps towards that peace and must be taken immediately. My country will continue to support initiatives to achieve a peaceful, negotiated, definitive and just solution to the conflict, with the existence of two States, Palestine and Israel, living side by side in peace and security. In conclusion, Ecuador thanks humanitarian workers for all their efforts to alleviate the pressing needs of the population. The protection and security of those workers must be guaranteed in order to enable them to carry out their work.

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Brands Kehris, Director Paulsen and Acting Under-Secretary-General Msuya for their sobering briefings. Japan is deeply disturbed by findings in the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee alert and the six-month update report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the human rights situation in Gaza, both published on 8 November, which highlight the catastrophic conditions in Gaza. The IPC alert is shocking, revealing that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is extremely grave and rapidly deteriorating and that famine is highly likely to become imminent in northern Gaza. The OHCHR report also highlights that by January 2024, starvation had become a reality for Palestinians, particularly in the north, with the most vulnerable populations, such as infants and the elderly. The woefully insufficient flow of aid into northern Gaza over the past month is unacceptable. While we acknowledge that Israel has re-opened the Kissufim crossing today, additional urgent efforts are imperative to improve humanitarian access to the Strip. In that context, Japan reiterates its grave concern about the adoption by the Israeli Knesset of the bills imposing severe restrictions on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The Agency is absolutely essential for the delivery of humanitarian relief in Gaza in this desperate hour. We also understand the Agency’s full commitment to take further steps to ensure its neutrality, including through the implementation of the Colonna report. Let us recall that Israel has been strongly encouraged, including by the International Court of Justice, to fully cooperate with the United Nations to ensure the unhindered provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance. We are concerned about what the loss of UNRWA’s functioning is expected to bring about on the ground. Israel’s responses to the situation, including the adoption of the Knesset bills, appear inconsistent with its obligations under international humanitarian law. Recalling resolution 2417 (2018), we emphasize that starvation must not be used as a weapon of war, and deliberate mass displacement must not take place. Japan remains steadfast and proactive in its commitment to provide support to the most vulnerable and has provided approximately $130 million in humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people since 7 October last year. Japan is also gravely alarmed by the OHCHR report outlining the human rights situation in Gaza, which includes accounts of civilian casualties, the use of human shields, indiscriminate projectile attacks, attacks on hospitals and humanitarian and medical workers, widespread displacement within Gaza and hostage situations. Japan once again strongly demands the release of all remaining hostages and reiterates its unequivocal and strong condemnation of the horrific terror attacks and hostage-taking perpetrated by Hamas and others on 7 October last year. We repeat our unwavering demand that all parties to the conflict must act in accordance with international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Only an immediate ceasefire and the immediate release of hostages can end this catastrophe. All relevant parties must strive to bring a halt to the fighting without delay. Japan will continue tirelessly in its diplomatic efforts to that end.

I thank Algeria, Guyana, Slovenia and Switzerland for the initiative to convene this meeting. I also thank Acting Under-Secretary-General Joyce Msuya, Assistant Secretary-General Ilze Brands Kehris and Director Rein Paulsen for their briefings. Food is a primary need for all people. To be fed and be well fed is the most basic need of human beings. Humanitarian issues cannot be politicized, nor can hunger be weaponized. That is the fundamental bottom line of international humanitarian law. However, during the conflict in Gaza, which has been ongoing for 13 months, civilians have been repeatedly deprived of their basic needs, and all humanitarian bottom lines have been breached time and again. The Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, in its latest report, warns that access for humanitarian supplies to Gaza has fallen to a record low and that the already dire humanitarian situation there is rapidly deteriorating, with an imminent risk of severe famine in northern Gaza. It is worrisome that this catastrophe is not a natural disaster beyond human control, nor is it unforeseen. Over the past year, Israel has continued its indiscriminate bombings in Gaza, attacking hospitals, schools and refugee camps, cutting off food, medicine and fuel supplies and repeatedly forcing massive relocations of civilians. Such acts have resulted in an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe and destruction, with women and children accounting for the majority of civilian casualties. According to numerous analyses, restrictions on and denial of civilians’ right to food in Gaza constitute part of systematic collective punishment of the Palestinian population. The unfolding of such a tragedy in front of the eyes of the whole world tests our human conscience and the international rule of law. It must be noted that the biggest challenge in scaling up humanitarian assistance to Gaza does not lie in the shortage of humanitarian supplies, but in the human-made restrictions on humanitarian access. The international community has mobilized vast supplies for Gaza, which must remain in the long lines queued outside the crossing points waiting to enter Gaza. We urge Israel to immediately open all crossings and effectively remove obstacles to humanitarian access throughout Gaza. Senior Coordinator Kaag has been facilitating humanitarian access in Gaza, as mandated by resolution 2720 (2023). We look forward to substantive progress in her work. It must be noted that the humanitarian hardship repeatedly seen in Gaza is not the result of the inadequate efforts of humanitarian agencies, but rather of the numerous obstacles to humanitarian work. Israel is restricting humanitarian access, on the one hand, and accusing the United Nations and the humanitarian agencies of inaction, on the other. That is unacceptable. We call on Israel to fully cooperate with the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies, ensure their safety and facilitate their work. One prominent issue in that regard is the bills adopted by the Knesset to close the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which will cut off the lifeline crucial to the survival of the Gazan population. China once again condemns any repression of, or restrictions on, UNRWA. The relevant bills should cease to be implemented and should be revoked as soon as possible. It must be noted that what is most lacking in humanitarian efforts in Gaza is not material supplies or other policy conditions, but the political will of a key party. The recent completion of the World Health Organization’s polio vaccination in Gaza once again demonstrated that it is possible to expand humanitarian assistance. The key is that Israel, as the occupying Power, must fulfil its obligations under international law and should not be permitted to use humanitarian assistance as a bargaining chip. We have noted that whenever international public opinion or criticism from a certain country increases, humanitarian assistance in Gaza seems to progress. That shows that the occupying Power has not exhausted all its efforts and that there is still enormous space for action to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. An immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza and an early implementation of the two-State solution is a fundamental path towards ending the conflict and restoring peace. China calls on Israel to heed the appeal of the international community, stop its military actions in Gaza and cease its violations against Lebanon and other countries. The 10 elected members of the Council (E10) submitted a draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, in line with international expectations for the Council. China welcomes the action of the E10 and supports the Council’s early adoption of the draft resolution.

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Ilze Brands Kehris, Acting Under- Secretary-General Joyce Msuya and Director Rein Paulsen for their briefings. Civilians have borne the brunt of the war in the Gaza Strip, with at least 43,000 people killed, more than 100,000 injured and nearly 1.9 million displaced, many of them repeatedly so. Civilians have had their homes, schools, markets and all semblance of normal socioeconomic life destroyed, and they live in perpetual fear and constant deprivation. In the absence of a ceasefire, the men, women and children caught up in this conflict have no safe refuge. International humanitarian law, including the rules of distinction, proportionality and precaution, is being repeatedly challenged, with no exceptions, protections or respect for people’s rights and dignity. The resolutions that the Council has adopted since this cycle of conflict began in October 2023 have all been aimed at mitigating the devastating humanitarian impact of war. It is unfortunate that the fears that propelled the Security Council to adopt resolution 2417 (2018) — that armed conflicts and violence have devastating humanitarian consequences that often hinder an effective humanitarian response and are a major cause of the risk of famine  — are tragically unfolding in the Gaza Strip, where the food-supply systems have collapsed and humanitarian aid flows are at their lowest levels. Previous and current reports from United Nations humanitarian personnel and other partners have emphasized the grim reality of death and suffering in the Gaza Strip, with October reportedly recording the lowest number of aid trucks entering Gaza since November 2023, at an average of 58 per day. That is a sharp decline from the approximately 200 aid trucks per day recorded in August. Northern Gaza remains particularly at risk, with reports indicating that it is almost impossible to deliver food aid and supplies to its approximately 75,000 to 90,000 estimated residents. We are particularly concerned about the recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) alert of 8 November, which says that “an imminent and substantial likelihood of famine is occurring in the Gaza Strip, due to the rapidly deteriorating situation”. The IPC report has classified the entire Gaza Strip as an IPC phase 4 area of acute food insecurity, with IPC phase 3 levels of acute malnutrition in September and October. The lack of availability of food resulting from the halt to agricultural and economic activity, as well as the access constraints mainly caused by insecurity, blockades and other administrative and operational restrictions, has caused the IPC Famine Review Committee to conclude that “starvation, malnutrition and excess mortality due to malnutrition and disease, are rapidly increasing in the Gaza Strip, especially the north”. That assessment echoes the statement issued at the beginning of this month by Heads of 15 United Nations and humanitarian organizations, including Acting Under-Secretary-General Msuya, that the entire Palestinian population in northern Gaza is at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine or violence. The current happenings in the Gaza Strip violate all Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 2417 (2018), 2573 (2021) and 2730 (2024), that call strongly for respecting and protecting the civilian population, including humanitarian personnel and civilian objects. In that connection, we are deeply concerned about the possibility that Qatar will pause the mediation efforts for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal until Hamas and Israel show a sincere willingness to return to the negotiating table. We therefore urge Israel and Hamas to demonstrate good faith and a sincere willingness to recommit to the negotiations in order to agree on a ceasefire to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people. In seeking an end to this tragedy, which is worsening day by day, Sierra Leone will engage and call for the following actions. First, we join the 15 United Nations and humanitarian organizations of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee in reiterating the appeal to the parties to the conflict to protect all civilians in the Gaza Strip, as stipulated in resolutions 2417 (2018), 2573 (2021) and 2730 (2024). Secondly, we reiterate our call for full respect for international humanitarian law, which will enable supplies of food, water, medical and other essential items to enter the Gaza Strip unimpeded and without further delay. Thirdly, we emphasize the indispensable role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), acknowledging the reliance of the entire humanitarian community on its extensive capacities and comparative advantages in providing daily aid and supporting accelerated aid delivery to millions of Palestinians in the region. We therefore call on the State of Israel to reconsider its recent legislation and to desist from actions that may impact the operations of UNRWA in the occupied Palestinian territory. Lastly, Sierra Leone reiterates its support for any effort or initiative by the Council that demands an immediate ceasefire, the release of all the remaining hostages and the full implementation of all the resolutions adopted on this question since 7 October 2023. Let us treat this subject with the urgency needed to save lives and rescue succeeding generations from the scourge of war.

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Brands Kehris of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Acting Under-Secretary-General Msuya of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Director Paulsen of the Food and Agriculture Organization for their briefings. There is no need to mince words here. As we heard from our briefers, the situation in northern Gaza is dire, indeed catastrophic, as we heard from Ms. Msuya. An unconscionable number of Palestinian civilians, many of them women and children, have been killed, and according to the latest assessment from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), nearly every civilian in Gaza is without adequate food, medication, clean drinking water or housing. They simply cannot be left to suffer indefinitely. As United States Secretary of State Blinken has emphasized, we need to end the armed conflict, bring the hostages home, including the seven Americans held by Hamas, and chart a path forward in the post-conflict period that provides governance, security and reconstruction in Gaza. As we consider that future, we must immediately surge humanitarian aid to civilians throughout Gaza. Otherwise, many of them may not survive the winter. The IPC’s latest report on the prospect of imminent famine underscores the urgency of the situation and makes it clear that such a surge is critical. The United States has also made clear to Israel that it must address the undisputed humanitarian crisis. So far, thanks to intervention by the United States, Israel has taken some important steps, including restoring aid deliveries to the north. Still, Israel must ensure that its actions are fully implemented and its improvements sustained over time. Only a sustained flow of assistance, coupled with the restoration of basic services, including health and nutrition activities, healthcare, and water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure can alleviate the catastrophic levels of food insecurity described in the IPC report. We continue to reiterate that there must be no forcible displacement or policy of starvation in Gaza, which would have grave implications under United States and international law. The role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been vital as the front line of this humanitarian response. The Agency facilitates approximately 80 per cent of humanitarian aid in Gaza. At the moment it is indispensable. We therefore repeat how urgent it is for Israel to pause its implementation of legislation targeting UNRWA. However, we should be clear that the United States shares Israel’s concerns that a small number of UNRWA’s personnel were involved in the 7 October attacks and that there are others who have ties to Hamas and other armed groups. We are also concerned about the possibility that some of UNRWA’s facilities were compromised by Hamas, which is unacceptable. It is in no party’s interests to have the neutrality of UNRWA personnel remain in doubt. We once again call on the Secretary-General to facilitate an independent mechanism to review and address all allegations. But it should be possible to address the allegations, while sustaining a vital lifeline to Palestinian civilians in need. Once again, it is essential that there is no interruption of humanitarian aid delivery. The work before us to forge a ceasefire is difficult, but it is necessary. The challenge of helping a revitalized Palestinian Authority rebuild Gaza without Hamas is immense, and the humanitarian crisis facing millions of Palestinian civilians is daunting. But the obstacles are not insurmountable, and we cannot succumb to inaction. We need to give Palestinians a future to look forward to, with self-determination and security and without Hamas being a part of it. We need Israel to feel secure within its own borders. We need to save lives — the lives of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, the lives of hostages, who have now gone for more than a year since seeing their families, and the lives of generations to come, of Palestinians and Israelis alike, who deserve to live in peace. The United States will continue to work for a ceasefire and find a way to end the armed conflict so that hostages can return home to their loved ones, and Palestinians and Israelis can live in security and peace. And we will continue to work tirelessly to surge life-saving assistance to those in desperate need.

I commend the presidency of the United Kingdom for convening this briefing and Guyana, Switzerland, Algeria and Slovenia for bringing this critical matter to the attention of the Security Council. We also thank our briefers, Ms. Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary- General for Human Rights; Mr. Rein Paulsen, Director of the Office of Emergencies and Resilience, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; and Ms. Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary- General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, for their comprehensive insight highlighting the gravity of the situation in Gaza. On 27 February, the Council convened to address the imminent risk of food insecurity in Gaza (see S/PV. 9560), after four months of conflict. Today, more than 12 months later, Israeli military operations have created deplorable conditions across Gaza. Humanitarian organizations report that the prolonged siege of northern Gaza has rendered the area uninhabitable. It is a heartbreaking situation, which has now reached catastrophic proportions, requiring immediate and sustained humanitarian intervention. Evidence strongly indicates that famine is imminent in northern Gaza. That development demands our most urgent attention and requires decisive and immediate action from the Council. As we have consistently reiterated, the protection of civilians in armed conflict is a fundamental principle of international humanitarian law. It is therefore the responsibility of all parties involved in the conflict to ensure that civilians are safeguarded from harm. Failure to do so is not only a violation of international norms, but is is also morally reprehensible. As the Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Joyce Msuya, stated at a previous Council meeting, “[I]f it is to have any real meaning for the millions of civilians affected by [the war in Gaza], it is time to go above and beyond compliance to strive for the full protection of civilians against the full range of harm that they are suffering on our watch.” (S/PV.9632, p. 7) Therefore, the obligation to ensure civilian protection falls unequivocally on all parties engaged in the conflict. Any deviation from that principle constitutes not only a violation of international norms, but represents a fundamental moral failure to avert and alleviate the catastrophic situation. Immediate intervention is imperative from all parties directly involved in the conflict and those wielding influence over its conduct to prevent and mitigate the humanitarian catastrophe. In this context, the Council and Member States must demand and ensure compliance with the comprehensive protection framework to alleviate the famine in the Gaza Strip through the following essential actions. First, they must end the siege in the northern areas of the Gaza Strip and attacks on healthcare facilities and other essential civilian infrastructure. Secondly, they must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery, including food, water and medical supplies. That includes reopening border crossings to enable the unhindered flow of efficient aid distribution. Thirdly, they must apply coordinated international diplomatic pressure to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law and prevent the use of starvation as a weapon of war. Fourthly, they must mobilize substantial additional funding and resources to support humanitarian operations in Gaza, including appeals to donor countries and international organizations, particularly those that have suspended their contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, to re-engage and support relief efforts. Lastly, they must work towards long-term solutions to address the root causes of the crisis in Gaza, mindful of the fact that achieving sustainable peace and stability ultimately hinges on a political solution.

We are grateful to Algeria, Guyana, Slovenia and Switzerland for their initiative to request the convening of this Security Council meeting on the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. We thank Ms. Brands Kehris, Mr. Paulsen and Ms. Msuya for their overview of the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding before our very eyes and their assessment of the situation concerning food security in the enclave, especially in the north. The recent publication of the report of the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) notes that the food system in the Gaza Strip is not simply failing, but it has collapsed. The entire enclave’s population — more than 2 million people  — is essentially in a state of extreme food insecurity, namely, IPC phase 4, which precedes all- out famine and starvation. We are particularly alarmed by forecasts that widespread famine is imminent in northern Gaza and expected in the coming months. Unfortunately, such assessments can be hardly deemed groundless. Under the same circumstances, the Israel Defense Forces continue its ruthless military operation, inflicting further suffering on civilians. Palestinians who have managed to survive regular shelling and artillery attacks have been forced to constantly move throughout the enclave in search of food and shelter. Those who have not managed to leave areas where the Israel Defense Forces announce another evacuation are trapped. Essentially, the civilians who remain in Gaza have been given a choice of dying either of starvation or from shelling and bombing. The representatives of United Nations humanitarian agencies, including the leadership of the World Health Organization and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), have spoken frankly about that. At the same time, everything going on in Gaza is part of the Israeli authorities’ deliberate efforts to create a so-called security buffer zone. We are seeing similar action by the Israelis in southern Lebanon, where their scorched-earth tactics are depriving civilians of what they need to survive and where the areas affected, which include agricultural land, are being rendered unfit for anything at all. Having refused to end its punitive operations against Palestinian women and children in Gaza, Israel has continued to restrict supplies of humanitarian assistance, despite numerous appeals from the international community. There is no point in counting the number of functioning border crossings, because even if some of them are formally operational, their actual throughput capacity is insignificant. As the data so far clearly shows, the amount of humanitarian supplies entering the Strip is at its lowest since the military operation began, with a daily average of only 58 trucks, which is negligible given the current needs. This hideous humanitarian situation has evolved almost a year after the adoption of resolution 2720 (2023), which was designed to establish and facilitate the supply of aid to Gaza, while the special mechanism of Sigrid Kaag, the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator in Gaza, continues to exist only on paper. The Council members who from time to time talk about “some positive results” of Ms. Kaag’s work should admit that her efforts, however active and noble they may be, have not had the desired effects. And that is an obvious fact that is difficult to dispute. Against that backdrop, the Israeli authorities have taken a decision to outlaw UNRWA and its staff. In a situation where there is simply no alternative to the Agency, such actions cannot be seen as anything but inhumane. Furthermore, it is clear that Israel, as the occupying Power, is not fulfilling its obligations under international humanitarian law by ensuring the protection of the civilian population in the territory it controls or providing humanitarian assistance, including food. And now it is depriving Gazans of their only international lifeline, for which there is simply no substitute. UNRWA’s work is not just about distributing humanitarian rations to the people who need them. For decades the Agency has been doing vital work in areas such as organizing education and healthcare systems, social protections and infrastructure development. Any disruption of its operations will have enormously serious social and economic consequences for the entire region. We condemn the Knesset’s decision and urge it to reconsider immediately. We have noted that the IPC Famine Review Committee, which I mentioned earlier, addressed its conclusions and recommendations — on the need for unimpeded humanitarian access, lifting the blockade in northern districts and ending the attacks on civilian infrastructure — not only to the parties to the conflict but by calling on “all actors who ... have influence on its conduct”. I think that we all know perfectly well which State that primarily refers to. It is just a shame that the experts who prepare these publications, as well as United Nations representatives in general, do not directly say that it is the United States that has every opportunity to help end the bloodshed. To that end, American representatives should at the very least stop blocking Security Council resolutions aimed at ending the hostilities, and together with everyone else demand that the Israeli authorities provide full-fledged and unimpeded humanitarian access to the victims and those in need. In the just over a year that has passed since the tragic events of 7 October, Washington, which has indulged Israel in everything, therefore shares with West Jerusalem the blame for the death of more than 43,000 Palestinians, including those who have been killed by the regular shipments of American weapons and those who have died of starvation and infectious diseases. In the circumstances, the Security Council is obligated to end its paralysis as soon as possible. Thanks to the efforts of the United States, the Council has spent the past few months listening to unrelenting mantras about an imminent deal between Israel and Hamas. If West Jerusalem were ready to make a deal, it would have done so long ago rather than setting more and more conditions, and Israeli officials at every level would not now be talking about their intention to put an end to Hamas once and for all. Let us say straight out that our American colleagues have deliberately led us all by the nose, buying time for Israel to carry out its plans to exterminate as many Palestinians as possible in Gaza and turn it into a place unfit for human habitation. The time has come to act. That is why Russia fully supports the draft resolution on Gaza that is being submitted by the 10 elected members of the Security Council, which contains a direct demand for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages, and why we call for it to be put to a vote without further delay. Its adoption would be a belated but genuine step towards ending the slaughter, breaking the current impasse in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and paving the way for relaunching the peace process on a universally recognized international legal basis, including with a two-State solution. There is no other path to just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

I thank Ms. Brands Kehris, Mr. Paulsen and Ms. Msuya for their briefings. The Security Council must respond to the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where the situation continues to deteriorate. The most recent report of the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification warns of the strong likelihood that famine is either already present, or imminent, for the people of northern Gaza. That demands immediate action. In 2018 the Council adopted resolution 2417 (2018), which for the first time condemned as a method of warfare the use of famine, the prevention of humanitarian access and the deprivation for civilians of objects indispensable to their survival. The resolution is binding on Israel, as it is on everyone. The blockades imposed on northern Gaza must be lifted without delay. All crossings must be reopened and humanitarian aid delivered safely, at scale and without hindrance. France calls on Israel to ensure the protection of all civilians and all civilian infrastructure and points out that any forced displacement of the population constitutes a serious violation of international law. Given this total humanitarian emergency, United Nations agencies, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), have an indispensable role to play. France deplores the Knesset’s enactment of laws on UNRWA and calls on Israel to respect its international obligations to UNRWA and the United Nations. We reaffirm our full support for UNRWA, without which hundreds of thousands of Gazans would lack access to the most basic healthcare. We also support its crucial reform. UNRWA provides humanitarian assistance on its own, but also serves as a platform enabling other humanitarian organizations to do so. France condemns the terrorist attacks and sexual violence committed by Hamas and other terrorist groups on 7 October 2023. We reiterate our unwavering commitment to Israel’s security. All hostages must be released forthwith. Only an end to the war will enable us to ensure a lasting end to the prospect of famine in Gaza. There is therefore an urgent need for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. That is the only solution that can put a stop to the humanitarian disaster that is unfolding before our eyes. France, together with its partners, will continue its efforts to bring an end to the conflict and implement a two-State solution.

I now give the floor to the observer of the Observer State of Palestine.

The State of Palestine thanks Algeria, Guyana, Slovenia and Switzerland for calling for this very important and timely meeting. We also want to express our appreciation to the three briefers for sharing with us the stunning facts about the horrifying reality of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, especially in the north. The very survival of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians is at stake, notably in northern Gaza. They are being killed and starved to death, moved around like cattle from one place to another — from one death to another. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the categories of age most represented among those killed are children, notably 5- to 9-year-olds and newborns to 4-year-olds. There are also children who are maimed, disabled for life, amputated, orphaned, starving and traumatized. There is no regard for children’s lives or civilian lives. There is no regard for international law or the most basic rules of humanity. There is a brutal, barbaric war against the Palestinian people — an unrelenting, inhumane, criminal attack against every shred of life and all requirements of life in the Gaza Strip. The Council met a year ago, and it was already clear what trajectory we were on. We knew then that we were on the path that leads from mass killing to genocide, from starvation to famine, from mass bombing to wanton destruction, from evacuation orders to forcible displacement, from so-called military operations to annexation and from the risk of regional escalation to the certainty of regional war. The agony of the Palestinian people, especially those in Gaza, instead of ending, is now coupled with the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Lebanon, with no regard for the sanctity of civilian life or the sovereignty of Lebanon. Everything we warned against and everything Israel denied is happening before our very eyes. We are in the final stages of an orchestrated plan to empty wide areas of Gaza of its Palestinian population and to inflict upon the Palestinian civilian population conditions that would lead to their destruction should they refuse to leave. Let us all pause and understand what it means that northern Gaza is now facing famine, despite aid being available and only a couple of miles away. Let us pause and understand what it means that Israel has decided to implement, and implemented, famine as a method of war for the purposes of ethnic cleansing and to advance its colonial objectives. Israel tells us that trucks are entering, crossings are open and markets are flourishing, or it blames others for the siege it is imposing. Meanwhile, the United Nations, humanitarian non-governmental organizations and all States around the world are saying the opposite: that aid is not allowed in, or, when it is allowed in, it is prevented from reaching the people who need it; that starvation has prevailed by design; and that forcible displacement is taking place. Who should be believed? Well, I have a solution. Israel, which has been killing Palestinian journalists  — 182 of them, whom we celebrated at a conference in Geneva a few days ago  — under false pretexts to stop them from reporting, can allow the international media into Gaza to report on who is responsible for what; on the real conditions in Gaza; and on the magnitude of that human-made, occupation-made catastrophe. But Israel will not do so, because it knows that what the international media will report will provoke a moral and political earthquake. They come and lie to the media stakeout outside, but they refuse to allow the media to go and report the facts. We are grateful to all United Nations agencies and the briefers who are with us for relaying the facts as they are and revealing the lies of the Government of Israel and its representative. Nowhere is that truer than in northern Gaza, where Israel considered there to be no civilians left, deeming those who remained military targets in order to justify killing them and starving them to death. Never before in our international law-based order had any country claimed that an entire civilian population — children, women and men — was a legitimate military target. It has never happened before. The International Court of Justice issued clear provisional orders to address what it characterized as a real and imminent risk in order for the right of the Palestinian people to be protected from acts of genocide. Can anyone around this table argue that Israel has not been deliberately and totally in breach of those orders? What are the implications of such a breach over months? It seems obvious that what was a real and imminent risk then is a terrifying reality now. What we need now is what we needed all along: an unconditional ceasefire and the immediate entry of life-saving assistance, especially to the north. We need the release of hostages and of Palestinian prisoners. We need the return of people to the areas from which they were displaced, alongside a tremendous effort for immediate relief and reconstruction. We need full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and initiatives towards the end of the occupation and towards shared peace and security. It should be noted that the families of hostages and prisoners and bereaved families, both Palestinian and Israeli, are calling for a ceasefire, because they know it is the only way to save lives and the only way for families to be reunited or to be able to mourn. Let us not speak in their name to justify more killing. We must listen to them. Let us not use them as pretexts for further violence and parade them at the United Nations for the wrong reasons. Violence is an impasse. Our region has witnessed enough wars to know it. Seventy-six years ago, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were dispossessed and displaced, finding themselves refugees in tents. They needed everything, including food and shelter. But the first concern of our parents was education. For decades to come, the world would speak of the Palestinian nation, who founded schools in tents and gave the region and the world one of the most educated peoples on Earth, providing teachers to numerous countries and bringing up generations of doctors, artists and engineers. In that endeavour, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was and remains crucial. Amid the terrible loss, pain and suffering that our people are enduring today, as the genocide continues to unfold before our eyes  — with the aim, once again, of uprooting our people — and while hunger and famine are tearing their organs apart, our people are still concerned about the fact that a generation of Palestinians have missed a full school year and may miss another. They ache as they see their schools and universities blown up, as they understand that after destroying their homes, Israel is destroying their hopes. The right of Palestinian refugees to return and their status are not subject to the existence of any agency. If Israel thinks that by trying to destroy UNRWA it can get rid of the issue, it is mistaken. Our right to return is a cornerstone of our rights and is rooted in international law. The Israeli legislation aiming to destroy UNRWA at a time when it is most needed is an attack on the United Nations, on the Palestinian refugees whom the Agency was created to serve and on the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza, where they are facing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Creating more despair and attacking the Agency that helped refugees free themselves from want will resolve nothing. It will fuel the fire that we are trying desperately to stop. This is it. Everything that we feared is here. The only question that remains is whether we will do anything differently now. Mr. Smotrich, who has a tendency to spell out clearly the policies of the Israeli Government, is openly advancing annexation, allowing himself to speak to the intentions of the incoming United States Administration. We trust that his assumptions are wrong and that unlawful annexation will be opposed by all. The Palestinian people are facing death, dispossession and displacement yet again, but as before, they will not disappear. We will not disappear. We are rooted in our land just as the olive trees — we call them “the Romans” — are rooted in our soil. Only a just and peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine will lead to shared peace and security in our region, as reiterated by the Arab leaders at the Arab-Islamic Summit held in Riyadh yesterday. The Arab world has once again shown that it is responding to occupation with demands for freedom, to extremism with moderation and to war with initiatives for peace. The opportunity that the position the Arab world has adopted offers, despite the bloodshed, should be seized, not ignored. The alternative is what we are seeing today. It requires courage, a clear vision and a strong will to change that reality. And given the stakes, it is worth it. We stand ready to work with all who wish to put an immediate end to this war and to the full-fledged assault on the Palestinian people, all who want to see an end to the Israeli occupation and conflict, so as to allow the Middle East to unleash its true potential for the benefit of all States and all peoples of the region and the world. But it all starts with stopping the bloodletting in Gaza. There has been enough bloodshed, enough suffering and enough horror. We must save lives now or we will all have to live with the terrifying consequences.

I now give the floor to the representative of Israel.

For more than 400 days, those who wish to see Israel villainized, demonized and isolated have been slinging mud at the wall, hoping that something will stick. Today’s report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is the latest handful thrown at the wall. It is a true master class in misinformation, bias and dishonest reporting. If Council members were to take even a moment to examine its claims rationally, the mud would slide down to the floor, exposing the emptiness and libel hidden beneath. It is an exercise in slander disguised as humanitarian concern. The IPC’s latest report echoes one of the most unfounded, slanderous accusations made about the State of Israel throughout the conflict. Just a few hours ago, two Israeli civilians were murdered by Hizbullah in their latest missile attack. Hizbullah has fired 15,000 missiles at Israel since 8 October 2023. Yet we will not be debating or condemning that murderous terror regime. Instead, we must discuss a baseless report. I would like to address all of the IPC’s primary libels directly and then lay out the facts. First, the IPC claims that a famine is imminent in northern Gaza. That is simply false. Israel has facilitated the entry since early October of more than 713 trucks of aid to northern Gaza alone, with the goal of sustaining a steady flow of 50 trucks daily. We have delivered essential food, water and medical supplies to areas such as Beit Lahiya and Jabalia in northern Gaza, where around 10,000 civilians remain. Across Gaza 12 bakeries are operational, producing massive quantities of bread for the population. The IPC’s claim of famine has no basis in reality. Its only basis is in political bias. Ironically, the IPC’s own figures show that the situation in Gaza, including in the north, is more stable now than it was before October. How could it claim that a famine is imminent while at the same time providing figures demonstrating an improving situation? Secondly, the IPC asserts that humanitarian access in Gaza is insufficient. Once again, that is blatantly incorrect. Israel has established multiple access points to facilitate the flow of aid, with dozens of trucks entering Gaza daily through various crossings. The Erez east and west crossings in the north alone support 600 trucks weekly. Aid is also entering through routes coordinated with Egypt and Jordan and via the maritime route through the port of Ashdod, where more than 2,000 pallets of aid arrived from the United Arab Emirates just last week. This morning, the Kissufim crossing reopened in central Gaza. That checkpoint had been closed in 2005 and was reopened this morning with new inspection facilities and roads to ensure safe passage. Are those the actions of a State wishing to cause a famine? Are they the actions of a State wishing for death and suffering? Or are they the actions of a nation committed to safeguarding a civilian population whose members are being exploited as human shields by murderous terrorists? Thirdly, the IPC claims that Gaza’s food distribution infrastructure is failing. Israel has been proactive in supporting Gaza’s food supply chain. With 3 million pita loaves produced daily, we have ensured stable access to bread for the population. Additionally, six tankers of cooking gas have recently entered Gaza to sustain essential infrastructure. Those initiatives support a robust and consistent food aid network, and not the failing system the IPC report claims. Fourthly, the IPC suggests that medical facilities are collapsing owing to a lack of supplies. That could not be further from the truth. Over the past few weeks alone, Israel has coordinated the entry of more than 50,000 litres of fuel, 180 units of blood and hundreds of medical supply boxes to northern Gaza’s hospitals. More than 200 patients have been evacuated to hospitals in the south, with support from the World Health Organization. Fifthly, the IPC claims that humanitarian agencies are obstructed. In reality, the primary cause of aid delays lies in logistical issues on the Gazan side. More than 900 trucks currently sit at the Kerem Shalom crossing, packed with aid and awaiting collection by international humanitarian agencies. Some of those trucks have been sitting in empty lots for weeks as the aid rots away. We are not blocking that — it is already in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel has proactively assisted by enhancing passage for the aid trucks, extending operating hours and creating alternative routes to expand distribution pathways. The logistical delay is not Israel’s doing. It is a failure of others to take responsibility. The report also ignored the critical role of Hamas in obstructing those agencies. I did not hear a word from any of the people who briefed us about Hamas hijacking trucks and stealing the aid for their own use. Finally, the IPC report outrageously questions Israel’s commitment to humanitarian aid. Our actions speak for themselves. Israel holds daily meetings with United Nations agencies to ensure that humanitarian needs are met, despite constant security threats from terrorists. Just yesterday, we again expanded the humanitarian zone in the Al-Mawasi area, adding more field hospitals, shelter and increased provision of food, water, medicine and medical equipment. We have worked through logistical obstacles, improved infrastructure and prioritized the welfare of Gaza’s civilians even while under threat from Hamas exploiting those same civilians as cover for their murderous aims. The IPC report is neither unbiased nor impartial. It relies on sources with a clear agenda to demonize and delegitimize Israel. Those sources include Al Jazeera, hardly known for its objectivity in covering Israel. In response to the two previous IPC reports  — both of which were proven false  — Israel published detailed responses. We never heard back from the IPC about any of our concerns. But at least those two previous reports named all their sources. The latest report fails to even disclose the which organizations carried out the analysis from where they took their data. They should tell us that. The Council’s priorities remain twisted and distorted. While we debate the report of an organization that has tragically robbed itself of any and all credibility, we avoid the real issues at hand. While we discuss a hypothetical situation that will not come to pass, we ignore the 900 trucks collecting dust in a lot in Gaza, waiting to be distributed by United Nations agencies. While we examine the words of prejudiced organizations making absurd accusations, we fail to examine the role of Hamas in hijacking aid, which they reroute into their machine of death and misery. Hamas has hijacked aid trucks, diverted resources and used civilians as cover for its terror activities. Every truck diverted by Hamas means fewer resources for innocent people. Yet how much time has the Council dedicated to addressing that reality? In recent days, we have gathered and released mountains of evidence on the discontent and anger among the Gazan population directed at Hamas. I do not know when the last time was that Mr. Mansour visited Gaza, slept in Gaza or met someone from Gaza. But we can show him footage of what the people of Gaza really think about Hamas — video of mothers screaming that Hamas took their sons and of men crying out that it is Hamas that is to blame for their suffering. We have also released video footage of Hamas terrorists torturing Gazan civilians, violating all concepts of human rights and morality. While the Council discusses a report based on the word of Al Jazeera and unnamed organizations, the people of Gaza themselves are telling them what must be done to resolve the situation. They are crying out to Council members, who need to listen to them. Members need to get out of their own way, because we simply cannot continue in this manner. This obsession with vilifying Israel is detached from reality. Let us examine only the facts at hand instead of the political agendas that have plagued our debates for so long. Before I leave the Chamber today, I urge each member of the Council to consider the facts. They should each look closely at Israel’s actions on the ground. They should consider the risks that our soldiers take to uphold these humanitarian commitments, often in the face of active threats. They should recognize that while the IPC may sling mud, Israel is working persistently, at great personal cost, to deliver aid and uphold the principles of international law. They should acknowledge that Hamas is the source of the situation. Council members should listen to the cries of the Gazan people and focus their energy on defeating the true oppressors — the Hamas terrorists. As we have seen before, there are agencies whose focus is bashing Israel, and there are agencies dedicated to real humanitarian work. The Council has a responsibility to make that distinction and focus on enhancing those agencies committed to genuine aid, not those invested in spreading lies. Ultimately, Israel will continue its work to protect civilian lives and fulfil its humanitarian obligations despite biased reports and manipulated narratives.

I now give the floor to the representative of Lebanon.

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of Arab States. At the outset, the Arab Group thanks Algeria, Guyana, Slovenia and Switzerland for their request to convene this important meeting to discuss the risk of famine in northern Gaza, following the report issued on Friday by the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. I would also like to thank all the briefers today for their valuable briefings. The report by the Famine Review Committee has sounded the alarm loud and clear that there is an imminent and substantial likelihood of famine occurring owing to the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip. The report also states that famine thresholds may have already been crossed or will be crossed in the near future. The Committee also stated in its report that immediate measures are required — within days, not weeks  — by all actors to avert and alleviate that catastrophic situation. What we have been warning against for months has happened. We have reached a situation that can be described only as tragic. We are now in a race against time and cannot wait any longer to act. The Security Council must intervene now and take immediate measures to avert catastrophe. It is unacceptable for the whole world to simply stand and watch an entire people who, if they survive the Israeli genocide, will starve to death in the next few days. The credibility of the Council is at stake. We therefore reiterate our call to Council members to immediately stop the genocidal war, ensure an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, end the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, lift all restrictions and obstacles to safe, rapid and unconditional humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip and reject the displacement of Palestinian citizens, within or outside their land. We also call on the Council to condemn Israel’s policy of collective punishment and its use of siege and starvation as weapons against civilians in the Gaza Strip. We are meeting here the day after the Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh, in our sister nation of Saudi Arabia, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, at which the Arab and Islamic countries stressed the centrality of the Palestinian question and their firm support for the Palestinian people in their efforts to achieve their legitimate and inalienable national rights. The Summit adopted a number of decisions that will be implemented to confront the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. As we look forward to the humanitarian conference to be held in Cairo on 2 December as part of the efforts to provide adequate humanitarian support to the Gaza Strip, we want to reaffirm our support for the greatly appreciated efforts of Egypt and Qatar, in cooperation with the United States, to achieve an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. We will hold Israel responsible for the failure of those efforts, because the Israeli Government has reneged on the agreements reached by the negotiators. As the humanitarian crisis worsens and famine threatens the Gaza Strip, we are seeing the humanitarian situation deteriorate and the numbers of food-insecure people in Syria and Lebanon increase, especially among the more than 1.2 million who are displaced. Mr. Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the right to food, has warned against a repeat of the scenario of Palestinian starvation in Lebanon, noting that Israel has the ability to starve Lebanon as it has done with the Palestinians in Gaza, and warning that there is a significant risk of hunger and malnutrition rates rising very rapidly in Lebanon. In that context, we call on international donors to respond urgently to the appeal launched by the United Nations and its specialized agencies to fund the relief and humanitarian efforts. More than a year after the genocidal war against the Palestinian people began, after Israel’s continued aggression against Lebanon and Syria and the Council’s adoption of four resolutions on the issue, Israel has maintained its intransigence and continued its crimes, flouting the Charter of the United Nations, the principles of international law, international humanitarian law and all internationally legitimate resolutions, including those of the Council. How long will the Council allow its resolutions to remain a dead letter? How long will it allow Israel to continue violating all legal and humanitarian principles? How long will it allow Israel to get away with its crimes? All eyes are on the Council. The time to act is now or never.