S/PV.9959 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Israel and Türkiye to participate in this meeting. On behalf of the Council, I welcome His Excellency Mr. Hakan Fidan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Türkiye. I propose that the Council invite the 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 that 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: Mr. Tom Fletcher, Under- Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; and Ms. Catherine Russell, Executive Director, United Nations Children’s Fund. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I also invite His Excellency Mr. Stavros Lambrinidis, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I give the floor to Mr. Fletcher. Mr. Fletcher: I want to remind the Council why we are briefing it today. The General Assembly gave us a humanitarian mandate — in General Assembly resolution 46/182 — and a set of principles that the Member States have asked us to uphold: humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence. That means aid must go, without discrimination, where needs are greatest. That means we answer to civilians in need, not the warring parties. Our mandate is also to advocate for international humanitarian law — not just to report on what we witness, but so that the Council can take action — even when those responsible would rather silence us. We are beyond vocabulary to describe conditions in Gaza. Let me, instead, share facts. Food is running out. Those seeking it risk being shot. People are dying trying to feed their families. Field hospitals receive dead bodies, and medical workers hear stories first-hand from the injured — day, after day, after day. Starvation rates among children hit their highest levels in June, with more than 5,800 girls and boys diagnosed as acutely malnourished. Last week, amid this hunger crisis, children and women were killed in a strike while waiting for the food supplements to keep them alive. Hamas continues to hold hostages, and we have received reports of its attacks on aid workers. The health system is shattered. Only 17 of 36 hospitals and 63 of 170 primary healthcare centres are functioning, all only partially, even as mass casualties arrive daily. In some hospitals, five babies share one incubator. Seventy per cent of essential medicines are out of stock. Half of all medical equipment has been damaged. Pregnant women give birth without medical care. Women and girls manage menstruation without basic sanitary supplies. Water and sanitation systems are broken. Approximately four out of every five of those facilities, including water The fuel crisis in Gaza remains at a critical threshold. Last week, the Israeli authorities agreed to allow two trucks of fuel to Gaza per day, five days a week, through the Kerem Shalom crossing, and we have some indication that approvals might increase slightly. We hope that they will materialize. This is the first time that any fuel has been allowed to enter the Strip in 130 days, and still no petrol has been permitted, which fuels many ambulances and other critical services. Two trucks provide a fraction of what is required to run essential life-sustaining services. And even when fuel is allowed in for humanitarian purposes, our access for the purposes of storing it and moving it to where it is needed is not guaranteed. Turning to the West Bank, there is continued loss of life and livelihoods, movement restrictions and growing displacement. Over the weekend, two Palestinian youths were killed in a settler attack near Ramallah. One was beaten to death, and the other fatally shot. Dozens were injured, and ambulances were blocked from reaching the wounded. Settler violence is escalating at an alarming rate, and Palestinian communities are being displaced and injured and their property damaged. Every day this year, the United Nations has documented an average of four incidents of settler violence against Palestinians and their property. In June, 100 Palestinians were injured by Israeli settlers — the highest number in two decades. Gaza’s soaring humanitarian needs must be met without drawing people into a firing line. Israel, as the occupying Power, is obligated to ensure that people have food and medical supplies, but that is not happening. Instead, civilians are being exposed to death, injury and forcible displacement and are being stripped of dignity. It is for Council members to draw their own conclusions, but, surely, we do not need to debate whether killing civilians waiting in line for life’s essentials meets the responsibility to provide for civilian needs. We are awaiting the outcome of Israel’s investigation into this and earlier incidents. I hope that the Council will also consider whether Israel’s rules of engagement incorporate all feasible precautions to avoid and minimize harm to civilians in all circumstances. That means here, as it does elsewhere, verifying targets, giving effective advance warnings, carefully choosing tactics and weapons and cancelling or suspending an attack if it were to cause disproportionate civilian harm. Each time that we report on what we see, we face threats of further reduced access to the civilians whom we are trying to serve. We face that tension everywhere, but nowhere is that tension between our advocacy mandate and delivering aid greater than it is in Gaza. Visas are not renewed or are reduced in duration, explicitly in response to our work on the protection of civilians. Security clearances are not granted for staff to enter Gaza to continue their work, and humanitarian partners are being increasingly denied entry to Gaza. In 2025, 56 per cent of the entries denied were for emergency medical teams. Of course, as Council members know, hundreds of aid workers have been killed, and those who continue to work endure hunger, danger and loss — like everyone else in the Gaza Strip. Personal tragedies continue to echo through our teams and their families. This morning, another colleague from the International Committee of the Red Cross was killed. I pay tribute to them all and to the courage of the work of UNICEF and other agencies inside Gaza. Thousands, including many of our colleagues, who are injured are not able to leave to seek treatment. Let me walk the Council briefly through what it takes to deliver its aid — the aid it funds — into Gaza. Take something as simple as a bag of flour. Before reaching the crossing into Gaza, it must clear multiple layers of approval, including customs, involving several ministries. Once approved, it is scanned, loaded on to Israeli trucks and often re-inspected at Kerem Shalom. From there, it is either moved by As I said before, it does not have to be this way. We have a plan that works. It requires predictable aid of different types and at scale entering multiple crossings, at which people do not come under fire, travelling on routes that we choose, without long delays, and being delivered to our warehouses and distribution points according to established United Nations aid mechanisms and humanitarian principles — the principles that Member States have given us the mandate to uphold. Even as this broader plan remains stalled, and despite severe restrictions, thousands of colleagues on the ground, at great personal risk, are still delivering life-saving aid daily. Between 19 May, when limited aid entry resumed, and 14 July, only 1,633 trucks — 62 per cent of the approximately 2,600 truck entries submitted for the approval of the Israeli authorities and 74 per cent of those approved for entry — reached the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings. They carried mainly wheat flour, alongside limited quantities of food for kitchens, nutrition supplies, medical supplies and chlorine. After multiple steps of cargo being loaded off and onto different vehicles, a total of 1,600 Palestinian trucks could be collected for distribution inside Gaza. In the last week alone, we had 21 emergency medical teams deployed, providing life-saving services and some relief to doctors in Gaza. Two hundred and thirty-eight pallets of medical supplies entered, including 10 cold-chain pallets with 1,396 blood units and 1,550 plasma doses — enough for 10 days. We supported 800 weekly medical consultations for women and girls, enabled 84 kitchens to serve 260,000 meals daily and delivered 17,000 cubic metres of drinking water through 1,300 collection points. That is life-saving support, provided with dignity. But to be clear, it is a drop in the ocean of what is needed, compared to the average of 630 truckloads that entered daily during the ceasefire. The ceasefire proved what is possible, and we need to return to those levels without delay. Now, our work — the work of the United Nations and its partners — is by no means perfect, but it is rooted in humanitarian principles, practices honed over decades of experience across the globe and steadfast commitment to saving lives. We ask again: please let us work. In that respect, I welcome the recent agreement between the European Union and Israel on humanitarian access. We look forward to hearing more of the detail and to understanding how implementation will be assessed. Let me remind the Council that the International Court of Justice has demanded that Israel take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance. With those facts before members, I ask them, as a Council, to assess whether Israel is meeting its international legal obligations and whether we humanitarians can fulfil our mandate. Is this allowing and facilitating rapid, unimpeded passage of impartial humanitarian relief, as the rules of war demand, or is it obstruction? Council members will draw their own conclusions. Weeks ago, an Israeli Minister called allowing aid into Gaza a disastrous decision, while another implied that starvation might be justified and moral, until hostages are freed — and they must be freed. Intentionally using the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare would, of course, be a war crime. Most recently, States and armed groups must uphold the rules — forged because of the horrors of conflict and hatred — that protect civilians in war. Today, across the world, we watch these rules being corroded and degraded. Again, it is, of course, for the Council to decide how it acts to ensure that all parties respect international humanitarian law. But I agree with some members of the Israeli Cabinet that the Council has consistently overestimated its powers of quiet persuasion. We hold all parties to the standards of international law in this conflict. We do not have to choose — and in fact, we must not choose — between demanding the end to the starvation of civilians in Gaza and demanding the unconditional release of all the hostages. And we must reject antisemitism. We must fight it with every fibre of our DNA. But we must also hold Israel to the same principles and laws as all other States. Therefore, civilians must be protected wherever they are. Hostages must be released — I say it again. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to enter, at scale, and humanitarian workers must be protected. The Council owes that to Israeli and Palestinian civilians, to the last hopes of a sustainable peace and to the Charter of the United Nations. All members of the Council have been unequivocal: ceasefire, ceasefire, ceasefire.

I thank Mr. Fletcher for his briefing. I now give the floor to Ms. Russell. Ms. Russell: I thank Pakistan, as the President of the Council, and Council members very much for bringing us together this afternoon. I thank them for inviting UNICEF to share its first-hand perspective on the desperate situation of Gaza’s 1 million children. From the beginning of the present conflict, children  — Palestinian and Israeli — have suffered terribly. Children have been killed, traumatized and taken hostage. Children have been orphaned and injured. Children are hungry and lack clean water. Children are out of school, and the safety of their homes is a distant memory. Children are not political actors. They do not start conflicts, and they are powerless to stop them. But they suffer greatly, and they wonder why the world has failed them. And make no mistake: we have failed them. Over the past 21 months of war, more than 17,000 children have reportedly been killed, and 33,000 have been injured in Gaza. An average of 28 children have been killed each day — the equivalent of an entire classroom. Consider that for a moment: a whole classroom of children killed every day for nearly two years. These children are not combatants. They are being killed and maimed as they line up for life-saving food and medicine. Last week, 15 Palestinians, including nine children and four women, were killed by a strike while waiting in line for UNICEF nutritional supplies in Dayr al-Balah. Among the survivors was Donia, a mother seeking a lifeline for her family after months of desperation and hunger. Donia’s 1-year-old son, Mohammed, was killed in an attack after speaking his first words just hours earlier. When we spoke with Donia, she was lying critically injured in a hospital bed, clutching Mohammed’s tiny shoe. This past weekend, 10 people, including seven children, were killed in an attack while collecting drinking water. And just today, at least 20 people, some of whom were children, were reportedly killed in a chaotic surge of people at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution site in southern Gaza. Between 27 May and At the same time, as Mr. Fletcher mentioned, the situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has significantly deteriorated. Since the start of the year, 33 Palestinian children have been killed in militarized operations and settler attacks. More than 32,000 people have been forcibly displaced, while the demolition of homes and roads and the use of explosive weapons in populated areas continue. In addition, the number of Palestinian children from the West Bank in detention for alleged security-related offences has reached its highest level in seven years. That includes 120 children detained without charge or trial, under administrative detention orders. Children who survive the war in Gaza will be forever affected by the deprivation and exposure to the traumatic events that they have experienced. Even before the war began, half of Gaza’s child population needed mental health and psychological support. Today, all of Gaza’s children need these services. Children in Gaza are enduring catastrophic living conditions, including severe food insecurity and malnutrition. Of the more than 113,000 children screened for malnutrition in June, nearly 6,000 were found to be acutely malnourished. This represents a staggering 180 per cent increase in acute malnutrition cases compared to February. These severely malnourished children need consistent, supervised treatment, along with safe water and medical care, to survive. In addition, water production capacity has plummeted, and as a result 95 per cent of households in Gaza do not have access to adequate water. Water pumping, desalination and wastewater treatment are all operating at significantly reduced capacity because of the lack of fuel, and sanitation services are nearing collapse. With clean water increasingly difficult to access, children have little choice but to drink contaminated water. That is increasing the risk of disease outbreaks, with waterborne diseases now making up 44 per cent of all healthcare consultations. We continue to see more cases of diarrhoeal and respiratory infections in children under the age of 5. And in recent days, our UNICEF team in Gaza has been responding to a meningitis outbreak, with dozens of infants now gravely ill. Thousands of children need urgent medical support. Children with traumatic injuries and severe pre-existing medical conditions are at risk of death, because the medical care that they need is unavailable in the Gaza Strip. Hospitals that are still able to operate are overwhelmed, with emergency departments operating at full capacity and occupancy exceeding 100 per cent. These facilities are facing severe shortages of essential medicine and fuel, disrupting critical care and leaving some operating rooms in the dark. Access to critical newborn care has been reduced by nearly 70 per cent. At least 12,500 patients with severe injuries, chronic diseases and complex medical conditions need urgent medical evacuation, including thousands of children. But only a small number of countries are taking in patients from Gaza, resulting in even more preventable deaths. Here, I would like to commend those countries, including those in the region, that are accepting patients from Gaza. Until Gaza’s healthcare system has sufficient capacity, UNICEF is calling for increased support for medical evacuations, with the guarantee that all evacuated patients and their caregivers can return to Gaza following treatment and recovery. In mid-May, after almost 11 weeks of a complete aid blockade, authorities permitted a trickle of United Nations supplies to enter the Strip. It is nowhere near enough. Between 19 May and 2 July, authorities allowed an average of 30 United Nations trucks per day to offload aid at designated crossings. That included UNICEF nutrition products, water treatment supplies and vaccines. For the past several months, the United Nations-led humanitarian response has been sidelined, despite the fact that during the March ceasefire, we were delivering assistance in an efficient and safe manner. That included essential vaccines and neonatal care, life-saving nutrition services and access to clean water, provided through more than 400 distribution points across Gaza. UNICEF and our partners went even farther, delivering aid door to door, reaching malnourished children and pregnant mothers directly in their places of refuge. We implore the Council again to ensure that we at UNICEF and our humanitarian partners are allowed to do our jobs. We have proven that essentials such as medicine, vaccines, water, food and nutrition for babies can reach those in need, wherever they are, when we have appropriate access. We urgently need a return to the functioning United Nations-led aid pipeline with safe and sustained humanitarian access through all available crossings. In addition, UNICEF reiterates the Secretary-General’s appeal to ensure that all aid delivery is demilitarized and grounded in the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence. Civilian safety must be paramount. I urge the Council to use its full weight to press parties to accept these principles and rules. In Gaza, the effects of the violence perpetrated on children have been catastrophic. International law is clear: all parties to the conflict have an obligation to protect civilians and ensure the safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance. We call on all parties to immediately act to protect children. We call on Israel to urgently review its rules of engagement to ensure full compliance with international humanitarian law, notably the protection of civilians, including children, and to conduct thorough and independent investigations of incidents and alleged violations to ensure accountability. And we call on all parties to abide by their legal obligations to ensure the survival and well-being of the civilian population, including through safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access. We call on Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups to uphold international humanitarian law, including respect for facilities that civilians depend on and the facilitation of unimpeded access. In addition, they should immediately and unconditionally release all hostages held inside Gaza. All parties to the conflict should urgently agree to a ceasefire, and we call on the Council to use all tools at its disposal to address human suffering and put an end to the war. Lastly, we call on all Member States to use all their leverage to de-escalate the conflict in the meantime. The simple truth is that we are failing Gaza’s children. Seen through their eyes, our failure is a betrayal of their right to be children — children who are healthy, who are safe and who are educated. History will judge this failure harshly. And the children will judge it too. Children in Gaza, like children all over the world, deserve peace. Our job is to give children the future they deserve. We simply must do better. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements. Dame Barbara Woodward (United Kingdom): I thank Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Fletcher and Executive Director Russell for their sobering briefings, and thank their teams on the ground for their courage and their work. The United Kingdom, together with Denmark, France, Greece and Slovenia, called for this meeting out of deep concern about the Israeli Government’s inhumane approach to the crisis in Gaza. This week marks 650 days since the horrific Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023. With each day that passes, the hostages suffer yet more agony, in appalling conditions and deprived from contact with their loved ones. And with each day that passes, the people of Gaza suffer death, desperation and displacement. The conflict has gone on for far too long. There is a deal to be done. We urge the parties to engage in the spirit of compromise to secure an immediate ceasefire, the release of the hostages and a pathway towards lasting peace. I will make three points. First, it is imperative that Israel lift its restrictions on aid entering Gaza. Without fuel, water systems and hospitals in Gaza are on the verge of collapse. Without medical supplies, treatable illnesses are costing lives. And without food, Palestinians are dying from malnutrition or forced to desperately scramble for supplies. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has acknowledged that the United Nations has the unique capacity to meet the immense humanitarian need. We call on Israel to allow the United Nations to save lives immediately and without obstruction. The United Kingdom welcomes the agreement between the European Union and Israel, but we need to see words turn into action. Secondly, we strongly oppose the expansion of Israel’s military operations. We urge Israel to immediately implement and enforce robust measures to protect civilians. In the past four months, more than 1,000 children have been killed. Palestinians have also been fired upon by the Israel Defense Forces while desperately seeking food, with 800 people killed at aid sites. That is abhorrent. Thirdly, the United Kingdom is appalled by the Israeli Defence Minister’s comments on the forced displacement of Palestinians to Rafah. That would contravene the fundamental principles upon which the United Nations was founded. Palestinian territory must not be reduced, and civilians must be able to return home. The path forward lies in diplomacy and compromise to deliver lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike. We commend the leadership of France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for co-chairing the upcoming conference on a two-State solution, which offers us a crucial opportunity to advance this goal.

Let me also thank Under-Secretary-General Fletcher and UNICEF Executive Director Russell for their detailed and sobering briefings, and through them, their teams on the ground, working under such difficult circumstances. The situation in Gaza is nothing short of catastrophic. The level of human suffering, clearly outlined by our briefers today and many times before, is appalling. That is why Denmark, together with France, Greece, Slovenia and the United Kingdom, called for this urgent meeting. Allow me to focus on three key concerns. Secondly, as part of Israel’s expanded military campaign, Israeli forces have continued to issue additional displacement orders. Combined, those orders place more than 85 per cent of Gaza’s territory under displacement orders. Civilians have no safe place to go and are instead confined into ever-shrinking spaces. Denmark rejects any forced displacement and calls for the full respect for the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion (see A/78/968). Any unilateral attempts to alter the demographic or territorial status of the Gaza Strip are unacceptable and constitute a clear violation of international law. Furthermore, we stress that civilians must be able to return safely to their communities. Thirdly, while some food assistance, fuel and medicines have been able to enter the Gaza strip recently, as we have heard, the amounts remain nothing more than a drop in a vast ocean of desperate need. Nearly one in three people are going entire days without eating, while hospitals face imminent shutdown as fuel stocks run out. Under those conditions, children remain among the most vulnerable, with the number of malnourished children rising at an alarming rate, as we just heard from Executive Director Russell. Meanwhile, we have witnessed a side-lining of the United Nations and established international humanitarian organizations from operating in Gaza. Truckloads of much-needed aid deliveries are waiting just outside the border to deliver much-needed aid to the Palestinian people. From the European Union’s side, we will closely follow the implementation of the recent common understanding with Israel on humanitarian access to Gaza, with the aim of improving the situation on the ground. Denmark’s position is clear: all restrictions on humanitarian aid must be lifted. We reiterate Israel’s obligation under international law to ensure full, safe and unhindered access to humanitarian aid — while observing the humanitarian principles of independence, impartiality, neutrality and humanity — to all Palestinians in need, half of whom are children. Humanitarian aid must never be politicized or used as a political bargaining chip or part of a military strategy. As we have stated before, this sets a dangerous precedent for the future of humanitarian work in war zones around the world. That is why we support the United Nations Coordinated Plan to Resume Humanitarian Aid Deliveries to Gaza. The United Nations, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, alongside its humanitarian partners, must be allowed to do its job and safely provide the necessary supplies and the uninterrupted delivery of services across Gaza. As Under-Secretary-General Fletcher said, it does not have to be like that. In addition to lifting all restrictions on humanitarian aid, we urgently need an immediate ceasefire and for Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release the remaining hostages, held since the brutal terror attack on 7 October 2023. Meanwhile, the two-State solution remains the only viable path to achieving sustainable peace and stability in the Middle East. We welcome the recent announcement by France and Saudi Arabia that the high-level conference will be resumed on 28 July. We look

Along with our British, Danish, Greek and Slovenian partners, we called for this Security Council meeting given the considerable urgency of the situation. I thank the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Tom Fletcher, and the Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms. Catherine Russell, for their briefings, which speak for themselves in their brutal clarity and call once again on the Council to take action with three priorities. First, Israel must be reminded that it must respect international law and its obligations regarding the Palestinian population, in particular those in Gaza. Israel must end its blockade of humanitarian aid. The distribution system managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is unacceptable. It is incompatible with the obligations under international law and the humanitarian principles of impartiality, neutrality and independence. Since the opening of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s distribution centres, hundreds of people have lost their lives during food distributions and thousands have been injured. That is intolerable. Furthermore, humanitarian aid must never be used for political purposes. It must enter Gaza immediately and at scale, in a safe and unimpeded manner, and reach all civilians in need, once again in accordance with international humanitarian law. Secondly, the Council must call on Israel to fully honour its commitments, particularly those under the agreement signed with the European Union on 10 July, which should allow for the increased delivery of aid to the enclave. That assistance must be provided, as set out in the agreement, by the United Nations and its partners. They are the only stakeholders capable of delivering aid in accordance with humanitarian principles and with all possible guarantees that it will be distributed properly. That includes food aid, of course, but also medical aid and other assistance to guarantee the survival of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, who have the right to such assistance and protection. The Council must reiterate its support for the United Nations and its humanitarian efforts. However, of course, as long as Gaza remains an active war zone, this aid will remain insufficient. The Council must therefore continue to call for an immediate, comprehensive and lasting ceasefire and the unconditional release of all those hostages still being held by Hamas. Those are the only ways to guarantee real protection for the population and sustained humanitarian access. Proposals for an agreement have been put forward. Talks must move forward in good faith on that basis. Once again, we welcome and support the tireless mediation efforts of Qatar, the United States and Egypt. Lastly, the extreme gravity of the humanitarian situation in Gaza reminds us every day of the urgent need to work towards a political settlement of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, which is the only solution capable of meeting the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians for peace and security. It is in that spirit that France and Saudi Arabia will co-chair the General Assembly’s High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution on 28 and 29 July in New York City. That solution is neither an illusion nor a utopia  — it is a realistic pathway towards lasting peace. The work of the Conference’s working groups, with input from Member States, has identified tangible actions to bring that solution to fruition and reopen a political horizon that will benefit both Israelis and Palestinians.

I thank you, Mr. President, for responding to the joint call of five Member States — namely, the United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Slovenia and my own country, Greece — for an urgent briefing on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. I would also like to thank our briefers, Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher and UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, for their briefings. There is, however, a glimmer of hope. We welcome the agreement reached by Israel and the European Union on scaling up humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza. We expect the agreed steps to be implemented urgently so as to substantially increase the daily trucks of food and non-food items and lead to the opening of more crossings in the southern and northern parts of Gaza. It is beyond doubt that this goal cannot be achieved without the valuable expertise of the United Nations, and the role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East remains pivotal and indispensable. At the same time, this development highlights the need for constructive engagement with Israel. Furthermore, as the High Representative of the European Union, Ms. Kallas, has stated, all measures should be taken to ensure that the increased humanitarian aid directly benefits the Gazan population and is not diverted by Hamas. While efforts led by Egypt, Qatar and the United States to secure a deal for a much-needed ceasefire are ongoing, we have not forgotten that hostages continue to suffer, having been held in captivity by Hamas for 19 months already. Having repeatedly condemned the 7 October 2023 terrorist attacks and the ongoing detention and inhumane treatment of hostages, we reiterate our demand for their immediate and unconditional release, and we deplore the refusal of Hamas to hand them over. Hamas remains an obstacle to peace. While conditions in Gaza remain dire, the situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is alarming. We condemn the escalation of violence there, following continued settler violence and the expansion of illegal settlements and Israel’s military operations. The repeated attacks against Taybah, one of the Christian- majority villages in the West Bank, are very disturbing. Settlement expansion is contrary to international law and the relevant Security Council resolutions and seriously undermines prospects for a two-State solution. We look forward to the upcoming conference, under the co-chairmanship of France and Saudi Arabia, to be resumed later this month, so as to bring new impetus to the political process, given that the Palestinian issue remains central to regional as well as global security and stability. In this spirit, Greece stands ready to engage towards moving the Arab plan forward, as presented by Egypt, and further develop it, where necessary. It is a constructive proposal for planning the day-after in Gaza, under which an empowered and reformed Palestinian Authority will be capable of exerting effective governance in Gaza and the West Bank without any government or security role for Hamas and without any forced displacement for the Palestinians. In conclusion, let me stress that there is no military solution for Gaza. All sides must now harness the necessary political courage to agree to a ceasefire, end the war

I want to thank Under-Secretary-General Fletcher and Executive Director Russell for sharing information on the situation on the ground. We bow our heads to the humanitarian workers who are risking and ultimately sacrificing their lives for civilians in Gaza. Looking back 80 years, one can observe the way conflicts have evolved. Nevertheless, one feature remains the same — denial by the parties of the reality on the ground and the atrocities that they are committing. However, the day of admission eventually comes, many times too late. Some 30 years ago, very close to my home country, we heard statements that there were practically no civilian victims, of how the people were well-nourished, of how one side acted in self-defence. We saw a United Nations entity treated as an enemy. We also saw people being pushed into so-called safe zones and then targeted indiscriminately. The day came — too late for too many. The day will eventually come in Gaza. Is it going to be too late again? Slovenia keeps calling for and demanding an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and release of all hostages. However, the absence of a ceasefire does not absolve any party of its obligation to respect international humanitarian law and to ensure the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance and other basic items, including adequate fuel, at scale. It is clear from today’s briefings that we are not seeing the actions that are urgently needed; quite the opposite — the situation is becoming worse by the day. With this in mind, we want to underline three main messages. First, the United Nations, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, and its humanitarian partners must remain the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza. During the most recent ceasefire, they proved that they can deliver if only they are allowed. In their work, they must be ensured full protection and unlimited access. Secondly, while we welcome the efforts of different players to conduct negotiations, we emphasize once again that Israel’s obligations under international law are clear. International law, including international humanitarian law, must be respected. This is non-negotiable. Thirdly, humanitarian action, including aid delivery, must be based on the established principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. These principles ensure the effective and ethical delivery of aid in any conflict zone. They prevent humanitarian aid from being used as an instrument of war. Tragic incidents in Gaza near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites remind us that there are no blurred lines with regard to the respect for international humanitarian law. Either one respects it, or one does not. While the humanitarian situation is only worsening, the military offensive continues relentlessly. The suffering of civilians in Gaza and hostages still in captivity persists. Statements and plans on further forced displacement are still looming. Instead of playing and learning, the daily life of children in Gaza is marked by displacement, malnourishment and perpetual trauma. What we need urgently is a ceasefire in Gaza. We need political will to end this war and political will to build peace. Instead, we are witnessing sanctions on representatives of international bodies and mechanisms solely for carrying out the work the United Nations has mandated them to do. We are appalled by the civilian killings in Gaza, killings into which we never receive any indication of the state of investigations, let alone their results. Today, civilians are being killed while waiting for water. Starving children are being killed while waiting for food. Humanitarian workers are being killed while saving people in Gaza. As we continue to witness all of this, I am afraid that what might no longer be possible to salvage is our collective dignity. And the day will come.

We thank Under- Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher and UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell for their briefings — they have exposed the true scale of the ongoing tragedy affecting civilians in the Gaza Strip. With each passing day, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is plumbing new depths. People in the enclave are living under the conditions of a major humanitarian disaster. They are facing unfathomable deprivation and starvation, which is killing both adults and children. At the same time, despite all the active efforts of humanitarian agencies, which enjoy the virtually unanimous support of Council members, humanitarian aid is being provided in extremely limited quantities, clearly not commensurate with the scale of the disaster, even though all residents of the enclave effectively heavily depend on that aid. The situation is rapidly deteriorating amid a critical shortage of fuel needed to keep vital infrastructure operational. Without fuel, hospitals, water supply systems and food distribution centres could be completely paralysed, which would jeopardize the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians. We are particularly alarmed by the reports of a possible stoppage of water desalination plants. It is unacceptable that the people of Gaza, especially children, be left without access to drinking water. The collapse of the water supply system could also lead to outbreaks of contagious diseases, which would further exacerbate the humanitarian situation. The ongoing ground operations by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and artillery shelling throughout the Gaza Strip are creating truly intolerable living conditions for the civilian population. We strongly condemn attacks that have killed and injured civilians. Of particular concern is the consistent and clear pattern of strikes that target sites at which people congregate to obtain food, including distribution centres. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, since the end of May, at least 798 Palestinians have been killed in the enclave while attempting to access humanitarian assistance. We note with particular concern the growing number of casualties near centres related to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which — as many of us had warned in this Chamber  — turned out to be a mechanism that, instead of addressing humanitarian needs, is increasingly becoming a symbol of the humiliation of human dignity and the embodiment of threats to the lives of those in need of assistance. Hundreds of Palestinians killed while trying to obtain help are a grim reminder of this. The way this system works may endanger those seeking help and is morally unacceptable. We believe that the United Nations Secretariat made the right and responsible decision not to be part of this punitive action, which is carried out under the guise of a humanitarian operation. Let me recall that, just recently, more than 200 non-governmental organizations issued a joint appeal, urging the dismantlement of this bloody militarized mechanism which offers Palestinians the choice between two evils — to die either of starvation or waiting in line for food assistance. We are shocked by the recent attack on civilians in Dayr al-Balah, where people were trying to receive food aid from UNICEF. Dozens of people were killed or wounded as a result of this attack. Among those killed were nine Palestinian children. On 13 July, according to United Nations data, seven additional children were killed in the Nuseirat camp while waiting in line for water at a humanitarian distribution centre. These tragedies are becoming a new frightful everyday occurrence. We strongly condemn the killing of innocent civilians who were seeking only vital assistance. Such attacks undermine the very possibility of saving human lives and constitute a gross violation of international humanitarian law. Unfortunately, humanitarian personnel also continue to be killed. In yet another strike against the office of a humanitarian organization, a 10 July attack in Gaza took the lives of three more humanitarians. This tragic incident once again shows just how dangerous the situation has become for humanitarians even as they carry out their duties under the conditions of constant danger. Alongside the crackdown on humanitarian workers and journalists covering events in Gaza, a genuine witch hunt has been launched against United Nations agencies that are out of favour. This primarily concerns the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), an Agency that for many decades has been providing support to Palestinians in such areas as humanitarian assistance, education and healthcare. The Agency’s uninterrupted and consistent work is essential for the survival of millions of Palestinians — not only those living in the Gaza Strip, but also, as is well known, in neighbouring countries that took in refugees. We would like to emphasize that there has never been an alternative to UNRWA. After UNRWA and the Secretary-General, the relevant special procedures of the Human Rights Council was the next target. Such actions are inconsistent with the obligations of United Nations Member States and violate the Charter of the United Nations and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies. This situation requires a very decisive international response. Protecting and providing for civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories is Israel’s duty as the occupying Power, and it is not for Israel’s leaders to decide if it is acceptable or not. We insist that civilians’ safety be ensured at all costs. Unfortunately, all attempts by the international community to achieve even minimal compliance with the basic principles of humanity and human dignity are being met with the all-out support of Israel’s ally, Washington, which has given West Jerusalem carte blanche to take any action against the Palestinians. If anyone thinks that the situation in Gaza simply cannot get any worse, they are most likely mistaken. According to the information we are receiving, including from official Israeli sources, West Jerusalem is drafting a new plan to transfer 600,000 Palestinians to a so-called “humanitarian city” in Rafah, south of the Morag military corridor. The goal is to eventually concentrate the enclave’s entire population of 2 million people there, after having checked whether they have links to Hamas. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has already characterized the plan as the de facto creation of a massive concentration camp, whose Palestinian Unfortunately, the problems of the Palestinian people are not limited to Gaza. We are extremely alarmed by the situation in the West Bank, where intensified Israeli operations are being reported, especially in the northern areas. The actions of West Jerusalem may result in widespread destruction, a spiralling humanitarian crisis and displaced families losing any hope to return to their homes. We regularly receive reports of killings and violence against Palestinians, seizures of their land and demolitions of their homes. That is unacceptable. We call on Israel to immediately cease violence in the occupied Palestinian territory, guarantee the protection of civilians and not impede the delivery of humanitarian assistance to civilians, who need it more than ever. It is also necessary to stop the expansion and construction of settlements and put an end to provocations by settlers, who pointedly humiliate the honour and dignity of Palestinians. We have all reiterated on numerous occasions in the Chamber that as long as the military operation by the IDF is ongoing, it would be impossible to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access to all those in need in the enclave. Furthermore, it is clear to all of us that rescuing the hostages held in Gaza through the use of force has proven ineffective. In that regard, we would like to once again call on the parties to swiftly reach a ceasefire agreement through the assistance of mediators, which would lead to the release and exchange of all forcibly detained persons. At the same time, in order for the Israeli authorities to finally lift the blockade of the sector, Washington must renounce its unconditional support for West Jerusalem, stop covering up Israel’s violations of international humanitarian law and use its leverage to stabilize the situation. We are convinced that there is no alternative to this scenario. That is the only way to break the vicious circle of violence and relaunch the Middle East peace process on the basis of the two-State solution, the ultimate goal of which is the creation of an independent Palestinian State within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, coexisting in peace and security with Israel. The long years of Arab-Israeli conflict have shown that there is no other alternative peaceful scenario for the Middle East. In that context, we welcome the intent of Saudi Arabia and France to hold a high- level international conference in support of the two-State solution, at the end of the month in New York, in which we intend to actively participate.

I thank Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher and Executive Director Catherine Russell of UNICEF for their sobering briefings. Humanitarian assistance should not be used as a political tool, and aid seekers must not risk their lives to get life-saving assistance. Unfortunately, what we have been witnessing every day in Gaza — for several months now — contradicts our fundamental belief. We are deeply concerned about the recent announcement by the United Nations that, as of 13 July, 875 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed while trying to reach food. Out of those victims, 674 were killed in the vicinity of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites. Every effort to deliver humanitarian aid, including food, medicine and fuel, should be encouraged. But what we should not overlook is that the delivery of such Amid the complete restriction of access to the international media, we still encounter shocking videos and overwhelming testimonies about each person’s experience at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution sites. Those witnesses are not only Palestinian civilians, but now also include foreign security employees and even soldiers from the Israel Defense Forces. Despite this situation, there is still a persistent lack of accurate and sufficient information on the facts concerning the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid distribution sites or near United Nations convoys, and this should not be ignored. As the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has indicated, “it is not helpful to issue blanket dismissals” of the concerns raised by the international community. A full and transparent investigation should follow, and, more importantly, international journalists must be allowed to enter Gaza in order to witness what is happening and to report the details back to the world. The United Nations has repeatedly stressed that it is ready to work to relieve the extreme suffering of Palestinians in Gaza through the swift and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need. We trust the desperate but confident voice of the United Nations. We are aware that the World Food Programme is continuing its delivery of basic food items to local communities and that the World Health Organization has facilitated the entry of limited medical supplies into Gaza. However, ongoing restrictions to the requisite aid make it impossible for the United Nations to meet the needs of 2 million people in Gaza, as hunger and violence surge. We thus call on Israel to fully cooperate with the United Nations in order to expand the unimpeded entry and delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza at scale, through the United Nations well-established and trusted delivery mechanism. We are seriously alarmed by the incessant reports from the United Nations that there is a desperate need for everything — notably food, fuel and medical goods — as existing stocks are running out. We call on Israel to help the United Nations. We repeat our call for the protection of civilians on the basis of the clear principles of international humanitarian law, including distinction, precaution and proportionality. The daily repeated killing of innocent persons seeking aid, such as those who were killed last weekend when queuing for water, including seven children, must stop immediately, regardless of the cause. Last week, we were hopeful about the finalization of a deal to secure an immediate ceasefire and the release of the hostages in Gaza. We sincerely hope that, through the efforts of the mediators — the United States, Qatar and Egypt — a ceasefire can resume in Gaza as soon as possible. Just as we are concerned about the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, we are also worried about the fate of the innocent Israeli hostages and the agony of their families. We thus hope that all remaining hostages being brutally held by Hamas, both the living and the dead, can be released unconditionally and that an immediate ceasefire can be made permanent. We also hope that any deal to reach a ceasefire can be a starting point for a durable peace in Israel and Palestine. Accordingly, we reiterate our firm opposition to any proposal to forcibly relocate Palestinian civilians inside or outside of Gaza. The realization of mutual acceptance and respect is the key to lasting peace in the region.

I thank the United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Greece and Slovenia for the initiative of calling for today’s meeting. I express my appreciation to Under-Secretary-General Fletcher and Executive Director Russell for their heart-wrenching briefings. Twenty-one months into the conflict in Gaza, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated to an unprecedented level. The international community must act First, humanitarian access must be fully restored. Under Israel’s extreme blockade, Gaza is experiencing severe shortages of all essential supplies and faces imminent, widespread famine. Nine humanitarian agencies, including the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the World Food Programme, have all warned that the fuel crisis in Gaza is so severe that it risks bringing all humanitarian operations to a standstill. Israel, as the occupying Power, has an obligation under international humanitarian law to guarantee humanitarian assistance — a demand explicitly made in multiple Security Council resolutions and the International Court of Justice’s order on provisional measures. China firmly opposes the weaponization of humanitarian aid and urges Israel to immediately lift the blockade and siege on Gaza and restore full humanitarian access. Secondly, relief must be delivered in accordance with humanitarian principles. The United Nations has repeatedly underscored that the militarized aid distribution mechanism instituted by the United States and Israel violates the principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality. Far from alleviating suffering, it is repeatedly causing mass civilian casualties. The use of force by the Israeli army against Gazan civilians seeking aid has claimed more than 600 lives and wounded more than 5,000. China strongly condemns those attacks on civilians and calls for accountability in the form of a thorough investigation. The United Nations and other humanitarian agencies possess the experience and the capacity to deliver aid at scale throughout Gaza. All parties should support the United Nations in providing relief in line with humanitarian principles, and Israel has an obligation to provide security guarantees and do the necessary to facilitate efforts. Thirdly, the forced displacement of people in Gaza must cease. Since the onset of the current conflict, Israel has imposed numerous evacuation orders, covering more than 86 per cent of Gaza and repeatedly displacing more than 1.9 million people. We are gravely concerned about reports that Israel is discussing the establishment of a so-called “humanitarian city” in southern Gaza. Gaza and the West Bank are the homeland of the Palestinian people, not bargaining chips in political deals. Any attempt to forcibly transfer the Palestinian people is a grave violation of international law and Council resolutions and must be firmly rejected by the international community. An immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza is a fundamental prerequisite to saving lives and alleviating Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe. While we note that ceasefire talks recently resumed, Israel’s ongoing military operations continue to claim innocent lives on a daily basis. As the brutal reality has shown time and again, military force cannot achieve peace, and prolonging the war leads only to more deaths and deepens hatred. We urge Israel to cease all military operations in Gaza immediately. Countries with significant influence over the parties should adopt a fair and responsible approach and take concrete and effective action to promote a ceasefire. The two-State solution remains the only viable path to resolving the Palestinian question. We welcome the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, to be held later this month, and hope it will galvanize momentum for the political process for advancing the two-State solution. China will continue working with the international community to quell the flames of war in Gaza, ease the humanitarian disaster, implement the two-State solution and ultimately achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question.

Panama thanks you, Mr. President, for convening this briefing. We also thank the delegations of Denmark, While we make statements in the Chamber, with immediate and unrestricted access to clean water, which refreshes the throat after and during the delivery of speeches in which we cry out for peace while telling of the cruelties of war, I cannot help but think of an image that, although we know it and describe it in our statements, is difficult to capture in all its rawness from these decision-making spaces, in which diplomatic debate coexists with emotional distance from the realities of the Gazan civilian population. It is an image that transcends statistics and reports: a Palestinian mother, under the scorching July sun, walking through rubble with an empty jerry can, waiting at some distribution point to fill just two bottles of water for her children, silently fearing that they, like other children, will be killed by a bomb while doing the exact same thing. The contrast is cruel but real. For in Gaza, water does not refresh or hydrate; the lack of it drives one to despair. And its absence is not accidental; it is a slow sentence of human-made suffering. Panama reiterates its urgent call for the re-establishment of an immediate ceasefire, which would put an end to the human suffering; facilitate the sustained, unrestricted and adequate entry of vital humanitarian aid into Gaza; and ensure the immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages still held by Hamas, whose acts of brutal violence and cruelty we once again strongly condemn. Those measures are urgent, indispensable and possible. More than 58,000 people have died in Gaza, and at least 138,000 have been injured in these 21 months of war. More than 1.9 million people have been displaced, many of them more than once, and 86 per cent of the territory is understanding evacuation orders. The minimum conditions for a dignified life seem to have disappeared. Eighty per cent of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure is inside militarized zones or under evacuation orders. Unfortunately, water no longer saves. It turns into mud, into disease, into death. According to the World Food Programme, 100 per cent of the Gazan population is acutely food insecure, and at least 470,000 people are starving. Approximately 71,000 children and 17,000 mothers require urgent treatment for malnutrition, and one in three Gazans goes days without food. Paradoxically, while the warehouses are empty, more than 116,000 metric tons of food, enough to feed 1 million people for four months, patiently await the green light to enter the Strip. It is not that there is no food. It is that it is not allowed to arrive or that its arrival is hindered. And when the food does arrive, gaining access to it has become a dangerous act. On 10 July in Dayr al-Balah, an air strike on a nutrition centre killed 15 people, including nine children and four women, as they waited in line to receive food aid. Nineteen additional minors were injured. Unfortunately, situations like that have become an everyday occurrence in Gaza, and they demand  — they call for  — an end to the war. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, since May, at least 875 people have died while trying to receive aid, most of them in the vicinity of distribution centres operated by alternative mechanisms outside the United Nations system. However well-intentioned those efforts may be, they have exposed Gaza’s civilian population to high operational and security risks, at the very moment that they come in the hope of alleviating their hunger. Just this morning, in another tragic episode, at least 20 people died near a distribution point in a stampede triggered by an alleged incident, underscoring The future of the population in Gaza cannot continue on the path of death, hunger, thirst and perpetual displacement. Panama reaffirms its support for United Nations agencies, which have demonstrated their operational capacity, even in the most extreme conditions. Therefore, we insist that any humanitarian effort must strengthen, not substitute or replace, the established mechanisms. We reiterate that the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel and United Nations facilities is an obligation under international humanitarian law. In a world that produces enough food for everyone, that has developed life-saving technologies and that has the means to deliver humanitarian aid even in the midst of conflict, allowing civilians to die from hunger, thirst or preventable diseases is an unsustainable tragedy. It is even more unbearable when the victims are children, who are the most innocent beings in any war. As such, the imperative to protect them transcends any political or military differences. Panama will continue to support all efforts so that in the future — it is hoped, in the near future — through courageous decisions and actions, Israelis and Palestinians will be able to live in peace, security and dignity. Mr. Mohamed Yusuf (Somalia) Somalia extends its gratitude to Denmark, France, Greece, Slovenia and the United Kingdom for calling for this urgent meeting. We also thank Under-Secretary-General Fletcher and Executive Director Russell for their sobering insights on the deepening humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory and commend United Nations personnel’s dedication and sacrifices under unprecedented circumstances. We are gravely alarmed by the continuing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where families have been shattered, entire neighbourhoods obliterated and nearly 2 million people forcibly displaced. Gaza’s health, water and sanitation systems have collapsed under constant siege and bombardment. According to UNICEF and other agencies, children comprise the overwhelming majority of those killed. Today Gaza stands as the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. The use of starvation as a weapon of war has brought about full-scale famine in most of Gaza. Aid convoys are routinely obstructed or targeted. More than 500 Palestinians have tragically been killed while simply waiting for aid. There is no safe space in Gaza, and the population has exhausted all its coping mechanisms. Humanitarian operations are crippled by severe restrictions and ongoing insecurity. Somalia is particularly appalled by the deliberate targeting of humanitarian personnel. More than 340 United Nations staff members have died since the start of the conflict, the highest number of fatalities among United Nations personnel in any single conflict. Those individuals risk everything to deliver hope and sustenance, which is an indictment of the conduct of the war. The killing of aid workers, journalists and medical staff must be investigated, and those responsible must be held accountable. International humanitarian law must be respected without exceptions. The deliberate targeting of civilians, the denial of aid and the use of starvation as a tool of war are not only morally abhorrent but are also grave violations of international law. Those actions are not limited to Gaza. In the occupied West Bank, daily violations by Israeli forces and settlers, including arbitrary killings, home demolitions and the expansion of illegal settlements, have led to more than 949 Palestinians killed since We welcome the ongoing ceasefire proposal and commend the efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States. But words must be matched by action. Our delegation reiterates its call for an immediate permanent and unconditional ceasefire; unhindered humanitarian access across Gaza; the protection of civilians and aid workers, in line with international humanitarian law; and the release of all hostages and detainees on both sides. As long as the root causes of occupation, blockade and the denial of Palestinian self-determination persist, peace will remain out of reach. Somalia reaffirms its unwavering support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination and to establish an independent sovereign State of Palestine, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. We urge the international community to move beyond statements of concern and towards a principled and coordinated and an enforceable response that upholds the values and the obligations under the Charter of the United Nations.

I would like to acknowledge Under- Secretary General Fletcher and Executive Director Russell’s briefings, although I would take issue with some of the characterizations in Mr. Fletcher’s remarks, which pointed the finger of blame solely at Israel, with one reference to Hamas. I will also address in my remarks how a refusal to work with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is tantamount to dereliction of duty in the humanitarian space. The United States remains actively engaged in addressing the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Special Envoy Witkoff continues to work tirelessly to reach a deal that would free the hostages and bring about a ceasefire that will pave the way for peace and prosperity in Gaza and the broader region. Before I continue, I want to state that we are aware of reports of fatalities at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation site in Khan Yunis. And the United States mourns that loss of life. The GHF stated that it confiscated weapons at the site and has credible reason to believe that elements within the crowd — armed and affiliated with Hamas — deliberately fomented the unrest. Regarding our diplomatic efforts, Israel has accepted proposed ceasefire terms. However, Hamas continues to stubbornly reject them. We would have a ceasefire today if Hamas had agreed to the proposal on the table. The responsibility for the situation in Gaza lies solely with Hamas. It is long overdue for members of the Council and the United Nations system to place the pressure where it belongs —on Hamas, which continues to prolong the war and hold 50 hostages, including Americans Itay Chen and Omer Neutra, in captivity. Hamas has held them captive for more than 21 months. The United States will not rest until all remaining hostages come home. No one wants to see Palestinian civilians go hungry and thirsty. The United States supports getting assistance to civilians in Gaza. That should happen in a way that does not allow Hamas to benefit. And with respect to reported fatalities or injuries of humanitarian workers as a result of Israel Defense Forces fire, we wish a swift recovery to those injured and offered condolences to those killed, and we recognize Israel’s ongoing commitments to investigate those incidents. And with respect to West Bank violence, to which many have referred, I would simply note that Ambassador Huckabee has stated that we have asked Israel to aggressively investigate the murder of Saif Musallet, an American citizen who was visiting family in Sinjil when he was beaten to death. There must be accountability for that criminal and terrorist act. And our condolences are with Saif’s family. Unfortunately, today we have heard many Council Members and aid agencies continue to defend a failed system rather than support the GHF as it delivers life-saving assistance to those in need. We would urge Member States and the United Nations to support the GHF and stop echoing incorrect information that benefits Hamas and undermines the secure delivery of aid to civilians in Gaza. It is unconscionable that members of the Council have focused on criticizing the GHF rather than condemning Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad for their continued abuse of the Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The result is an ever-growing credibility gap for the United Nations. The Security Council, Member States and the United Nations have failed to condemn Hamas’ attacks against GHF personnel. Hamas has murdered innocent Palestinians — and injured two Americans — working for the GHF and attempting to feed civilians. In the previous system, Hamas systematically looted humanitarian assistance, turning aid into a tool of control. We saw during the previous ceasefire how the diversion of aid helped Hamas replenish its ranks. Hamas cynically exploited aid for its own purposes, leaving civilians to navigate chaos and lawlessness. The United States supports the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza in a manner that does not benefit Hamas. The GHF is a crucial and successful mechanism for doing so, having distributed more than 76 million meals to civilians in Gaza to date. They succeed where the old system failed — by preventing Hamas from using aid to stay in power. It has consistently been able to deliver aid to civilians and remains committed to delivering aid consistent with the humanitarian principles of impartiality, neutrality, independence and humanity. The GHF is a results-focused alternative to a broken aid system, following through on President Trump’s commitment to feed Gaza’s civilians without supporting Hamas or prolonging the conflict. The United States supports creative solutions that securely provide aid to Palestinians in Gaza without supporting Hamas or other terrorist organizations and welcomes the additional aid entering Gaza following the agreement between the European Union and Israel. The United States has worked with the GHF to assist the Foundation in scaling up and increasing its effectiveness. While no mechanism is perfect, this is a good one, and it is continuously getting better. And the United Nations should help it do so. We urge Council members to join us in supporting the work of the GHF as it delivers life-saving aid to civilians on the ground.

I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting to receive an update on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. I also thank Under- Secretary-General Fletcher and UNICEF Executive Director Russell for their sobering briefings and for their tireless work — and that of their teams — to provide a lifeline for Palestinians under the most challenging circumstances. The catastrophic humanitarian conditions being endured by civilians in Gaza, many of them children, continue to deteriorate rapidly. As we heard from the briefers It was heartbreaking to hear the World Food Programme (WFP) Deputy Executive Director speak recently of mothers in Gaza trying to prevent their children from playing so that they would conserve energy due to a lack of food. Just this week, seven children waiting for water were among those killed in an Israeli air strike. As the parties haggle over ceasefire conditions, the world is witnessing a cruel war on children. According to UNICEF, more than 50,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured in Gaza, and nearly every child knows what it is to be displaced, to have their families torn apart and their homes destroyed. This devastation is unfolding as tons of life-saving food, medicines and other basics sit in trucks across the border waiting months for the green light to enter Gaza. Already stretched relief efforts are being further hindered by the denial of entry of necessary fuel supplies. We note the joint statement issued over the weekend by United Nations agencies, in which it was made clear that fuel is the backbone of survival in Gaza — powering hospitals, water systems, sanitation networks, ambulances, kitchens and every aspect of humanitarian operations. Also made clear was the fact that without adequate fuel, United Nations agencies may be forced to cease operations entirely, meaning no health services, no clean water and no capacity to deliver aid. The small amounts of fuel finally being allowed into Gaza represent a tiny fraction of the hundreds of thousands of litres of fuel needed each day to sustain daily life and critical aid operations. Fuel shortages have already resulted in maternity, neonatal and intensive care units in hospitals no longer being able to function. Further compounding this desperate situation are the daily reports of civilians being targeted, killed and injured while seeking aid at militarized aid distribution sites. The WFP assesses that nearly one in three people in the Gaza Strip currently go without eating for days. While we note the planned expansion of the distribution programme of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and hear repeatedly that the goal of the GHF is to facilitate the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip in a manner that prevents its diversion or exploitation by Hamas, we continue to observe the GHF’s lack of capacity to achieve its stated objective. With too few sites, those seeking life-saving aid are required to travel long distances under dangerous conditions; and there is repeated chaos as thousands of civilians line up to receive life-saving aid at GHF sites, with many being killed or maimed in the process. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported that, as of 13 July, 875 people have been killed in Gaza while trying to get food, with 674 of them killed in the vicinity of GHF sites. Today, at least 20 people were reportedly killed in a stampede at the GHF site in Khan Yunis. Urgent action is needed to address deficiencies and to ensure the safety and dignity of those seeking food. In resolution 2730 (2024), adopted in May last year, the Security Council reaffirmed the need for parties to armed conflict to comply with their legal obligations to respect the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution in the conduct of hostilities and to refrain from attacking, destroying, removing or rendering useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population. Moreover, the Council’s presidential statement of 3 August 2023 (S/PRST/2023/4), which Guyana co-sponsored, reaffirmed the obligation of all parties to an armed conflict to respect international humanitarian law and to allow and facilitate the The Council must uphold its own decisions and demand compliance from the parties to this conflict. The Council must also insist that increased amounts of food and essential goods, including fuel and medicines, be allowed into Gaza and distributed by the United Nations and other humanitarian operators, in keeping with humanitarian principles and international law. The United Nations has consistently demonstrated its readiness and ability to deliver aid at scale every time there has been an opportunity to get aid into Gaza. Keeping lifelines open in Gaza is an obligation under international law, which requires providing aid and facilitating rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief to civilians in need. We note that in an occupied territory, the occupying Power must ensure that food and medical supplies are provided to the population in a manner that does not put their lives in mortal danger. Guyana is also concerned about the continued attacks on schools, which have become a sanctuary for displaced persons, resulting in new waves of forced displacement. According to United Nations estimates, more than 725,000 people have been displaced since the breakdown of the ceasefire in March, with the Israeli military continuing to issue new displacement orders every day. In the West Bank, Israeli settlers and military forces have also intensified their attacks against Palestinian civilians, resulting in the killing of civilians and the demolition of their homes. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, some 30,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced since the launch of Israel’s Operation Iron Wall in the north of the occupied West Bank earlier this year. An immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza remains the only viable hope for its suffering population. There must also be an immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups, and safe and unhindered access to humanitarian aid. Guyana continues to appeal for peace to be given a chance in the Middle East — peace premised on a resolution of the Palestinian conflict in line with the two-State solution, whereby the Palestinian people can live in peace, dignity and harmony with their neighbours. The Middle East deserves peace.

I would like to begin by thanking Mr. Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, and Ms. Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, who are among the few voices of integrity, credibility and bravery. I convey to them all our support. I also thank them for their briefings, which truthfully depicted the painful reality in Gaza, where there is nothing but death. How could it be otherwise, when the power-crazed Israeli occupation forces, driven by arrogance, have inflicted all forms of death in a bid to clear Palestine of its people, paving the way for a new geography, whereby the indigenous people are erased from history. But to those who seek to rewrite history, we say that ending the occupation and enabling the Palestinians to exercise their natural, legal and inalienable right to their land is a historical inevitability, and that those who try to thwart the wheel of history will meet the same fate as their predecessors, for the land knows its people. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East estimates that, since 7 October 2023, Israel has been killing the equivalent of an entire classroom of 35 to 45 children every day. Children are paying the price, with more than 18,000 killed and approximately 17,000 admitted to hospitals. What is more, on a daily basis, 10 children in the Gaza Strip lose one or both legs. Whom should we believe? We hear some justify the targeting of hospitals, which  — they claim  — are command-and-control centres, whereas the World Health Organization and other actors say otherwise. Physicians for Human Rights-Israel stated that the Israeli army has deliberately attacked hospitals and medical facilities, and that those attacks have led to the complete collapse of the health system in Gaza, entailing the deliberate destruction of infrastructure and severe shortages of medical equipment and basic medication. Whom should we believe? Some try to convince themselves and others that the current aid distribution system is in line with humanitarian principles and that it is the ideal solution for addressing the occupier’s security concerns. However, distribution points have become death traps, and aid is being militarized as a tool of displacement instead of one of relief. The International Committee of the Red Cross reported that, “[o]n 12 July, the Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah received 132 patients suffering from weapon-related injuries, marking the latest mass casualty incident linked to food distribution sites. Tragically, 25 individuals were declared dead upon arrival; six more died after admittance.” Whom should we believe? Some say that there is no famine in Gaza and that calories are being counted and needs are being met, but the reality belies that narrative. We are seeing people in Gaza afflicted by hunger and formula milk becoming a rare commodity. According to UNICEF, “[i]n the past month, over 75 per cent of households have reported deteriorating access to water — they don’t have enough water to drink, are unable to wash their hands when needed … Malnutrition is also on the rise. More than 9,000 children have been admitted for treatment of acute malnutrition since the beginning of the year.” Whom should we believe? Should we believe Gazans’ pallid faces and their eyes filled with tears, or should we believe the language of murder and those who are distorting the truth and demanding — out of pragmatism, double standards and political calculation — that we believe them? The horror of those atrocities compels each and every one of us to question our own humanity. It demands investigation and accountability, and before any of that, it demands a ceasefire and the provision of relief to Palestinians. Until when will we go on explaining tragedies using clinical terminology, responding to the killer with expressions of concern and describing the victim as a mistake? This silence, however reinforced by diplomacy, will be recorded as a witness to the crime and will go down in history not as impartiality, but as treason. Therefore, condemnation and expressions of regret will not suffice. Enough words — the duty now is to act and to use the tools provided by the Charter of the United Nations to end these crimes, which are no secret to anyone.

I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this urgent meeting of the Security Council at the request of Denmark, France, Greece, Slovenia and the United Kingdom. I also thank Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher and UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell for their sobering and important briefings. In addition, I thank them and humanitarian workers for their sacrificial work. On the tragic humanitarian situation in Gaza, it is important to reiterate that we in Sierra Leone speak not as a distant observer, but as a State with deep understanding of the horrors of conflict, impunity and international indifference. We understand too well what it means when international humanitarian law is disregarded and when civilians are left defenceless. We speak from that place of experience, empathy and enduring responsibility, committed to the protection of civilians, the preservation of international law and the pursuit of peace with justice. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is beyond catastrophic. It is inhumane and indefensible. We note that in response to the brutal and condemnable attacks of 7 October 2023 and the unlawful taking of hostages by Hamas and other armed groups — acts of terror that we have condemned — the military operations of the State of Israel in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of more than 58,000 Palestinians, including more than 17,000 children, 10,000 women and 4,000 elderly persons. No vulnerable or protected group has been spared the brutality. More than 139,000 people have been injured, most of them women and children, and more than 9,000 remain missing, presumed buried under rubble. These are not abstract statistics. They are lives lost, families devastated and futures erased. With the restrictions imposed on United Nations aid distribution and the commencement of food distribution by the euphemistically named Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in late May 2025, we express grave concern about reports indicating that more than 700 Palestinian civilians have been killed near aid distribution points, with more than 600 of those fatalities occurring at or around sites operated by the Foundation. These tragic deaths, resulting from stampedes, crush injuries and the use of live ammunition by Israeli forces and contracted security personnel, underscore the urgent need for the protection of humanitarian operations and the civilians they intend to serve. That rising toll is not an unfortunate side effect of conflict, nor is it collateral damage; it is the result of deliberate policies that deprive civilians of their most basic rights. The ongoing siege, collective punishment, targeting of infrastructure, denial of humanitarian access and use of starvation as a method of warfare all constitute grave breaches of international humanitarian law. International humanitarian law is unambiguous. The Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits collective punishment and Those obligations are binding on the parties. In the case Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel), the International Court of Justice issued provisional measures ordering the Government of Israel to permit humanitarian assistance. Those measures are also binding. They must be respected, but they have been and are being continually disregarded at best. The Council has a responsibility to ensure compliance. International jurisprudence, including from the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, has affirmed that the denial of food, water, shelter and medical care — especially when accompanied by widespread destruction and forced displacement — can constitute evidence of genocidal acts. The Appeals Chamber dealing with the Srebrenica genocide cited such conditions in determining genocidal intent. It bears repeating that the obligation to prevent genocide is a peremptory norm of international law and is erga omnes, owed by all States to the international community as a whole. That duty requires not only abstention from acts of genocide but also proactive measures to prevent such crimes where there is a serious risk of their occurrence. Accordingly, a blanket refutation and consistent denial are not a sufficient response to an erga omnes obligation. The pattern of mass civilian killings, obstruction of humanitarian aid and the systematic targeting of life-sustaining infrastructure in Gaza must be examined through that prism. Indeed, today in Gaza, we see indicators of prolonged bombardment; the destruction of crops and wells; targeted killings of journalists and humanitarian workers; the cutting of fuel, water and electricity supplies; and public calls by senior officials of the Government of Israel for the displacement of the population. Those acts, taken cumulatively, raise serious concerns about both international humanitarian law and international criminal law. Therefore, in the face of such grave breaches, inaction undermines the collective commitment of States under the Genocide Convention and the Charter of the United Nations and risks eroding the foundational principles of our shared humanity. Sierra Leone urges the Council to act decisively and without delay. We call on the members of the Security Council with the means to do so to act. The rules-based international order must not be sacrificed to inertia or geopolitics. We therefore call for the following. First, we call for a complete cessation of hostilities and the initiation of a credible and irreversible political process, leading to a permanent ceasefire. Secondly, we call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, including Israeli civilians held by Hamas and Palestinian detainees held without due process. Thirdly, we call for an immediate and unconditional lifting of the aid restrictions and restoration of full and unhindered humanitarian access. We therefore welcome the announcement of the agreement between the State of Israel and the European Union last week to expand the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip through multiple crossings, allow for the repair of critical infrastructure and ensure the protection of aid workers. Fifthly, we call for independent, impartial and transparent investigations into all alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, including a call for an immediate investigation into the fatalities at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid distribution sites and convoys. Sierra Leone commends the ongoing diplomatic efforts, including those led by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, to achieve a ceasefire and scale up aid delivery. We also welcome the joint re-convening by France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of the postponed international conference on the establishment of the Palestinian State and a two-State solution. We reaffirm our support for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and for a two-State solution. In closing, we must note that the Council in just two generations must not be remembered for what it again failed to prevent. We must endeavour to discharge our responsibility until relief reaches Gaza, the hostages are released and the hostilities cease. In the face of current inaction, we must also not be silent. As we recall the solemn words of “never again”, they must apply universally to all peoples, in all places and at all times, in particular to the people of Palestine, in the occupied Palestinian territory and now.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Pakistan. I would like to join colleagues in thanking Under-Secretary-General Fletcher and Executive Director Russell for their compelling briefings. We appreciate and support their work. Indeed, words do not exist to properly describe the situation, for the situation is beyond belief, unimaginable in this time and age. We support their calls primarily for standing unequivocally with international law and international humanitarian law and for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Gaza teeters on the brink of total devastation, a man-made catastrophe, in which death stems not only from bombardments but also from the systematic dismantling of the conditions necessary for life. More than 58,000 people have been killed, more than 138,000 wounded and entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble. Hospitals are barely functioning, as supply chains collapse. Starvation is being used as a tool of war. And aid, the last lifeline for millions, has itself become a perilous pursuit. Just this past week, on 12 July, dozens of civilians were reportedly killed when Israeli forces opened fire near an aid distribution queue in Gaza City. Men, women and children were waiting in the blistering heat for food. Instead, they found death. That is not an isolated incident. It is part of a pattern that underscores the urgent need for change. On another sweltering July morning, seven-month-old Salam lay motionless in her mother’s trembling arms, her tiny ribs protruding like fragile twigs beneath skin drawn thin by hunger. Her sunken eyes, too weak to cry, flickered faintly, as health workers rushed to assist her at a bomb-damaged clinic. For weeks, her family had wandered the rubble-strewn streets for infant formula, but without success. Aid distribution points had none. United Nations-run centres were either inaccessible, out of supplies or under threat. As doctors worked frantically to stabilize her, Salam’s breathing grew shallower, her faint whimpers fading into silence. By nightfall, she was gone, one of 67 children lost to starvation in the past month, while thousands I wish to highlight five urgent points. First, the current aid mechanism is clearly failing those it claims to serve. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 798 aid-related killings have occurred since late May, 615 of them at or near distribution sites. The United Nations coordinated system of more than 400 well- networked distribution points has been dismantled. In its place, a heavily restricted system under the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation now operates with just a handful of designated aid sites. That forces desperate civilians to traverse active combat zones in search of basic necessities. While some aid has trickled into Gaza, the volume is vastly inadequate, its implementation is flawed, and it falls far short of the standards demanded by international humanitarian law. Most gravely, the system has morphed to a death trap. Secondly, the denial of life-saving assistance, particularly infant formula, has reached indefensible levels. Newborns face imminent risk of death by starvation. That form of deprivation cannot be justified under any circumstances. Immediate unimpeded access must be granted for the delivery of essential supplies. Thirdly, Gaza is in the grip of a worsening shortage of medical supplies, shelter and fuel. On 12 July, United Nations agencies issued a stark warning. Fuel reserves had reached critical lows, threatening to shut down hospitals, water and sanitation systems, telecommunications, bakeries, ambulances and humanitarian operations. For a population of 2.1 million, that is a catastrophic tipping point. Fuel, medical aid and shelter materials must be allowed without delay. Fourthly, the current aid mechanism sets a dangerous precedent. Replacing neutral United Nations-led humanitarian operations with the militarized, selectively coordinated structure undermines the neutrality and impartiality that are cornerstones of humanitarian law. The consequences will reverberate beyond Gaza, endangering civilian protection in future conflicts. Fifthly and most critically, this catastrophe is not inevitable. It is the result of deliberate choices, policies and activities by Israel, the occupying Power. It can, and must, be reversed. The international community must act and without delay. The objectives are clear and widely shared: an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire — and we appreciate the efforts that are under way to achieve that; the lifting of the blockade and the restoration of full, unhindered and impartial humanitarian access, in accordance with international humanitarian law, through the United Nations system, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East; the release of the hostages and Palestinian prisoners; the unambiguous rejection of all illegal policies and actions by the occupying Power, including settlement activity and any forcible displacement of Palestinians; and finally and most fundamentally, addressing the root cause of the crisis, namely, the prolonged Israeli occupation and the denial of Palestinian rights. A just and lasting peace in the Middle East requires the realization of the two-State solution, with an independent, sovereign and contiguous Palestinian State based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. In that regard, we look forward to the high-level conference later this month, which is to be co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, and hope that it will yield concrete outcomes. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. The representative of the United States has asked for the floor to make a further statement.

A couple members made very serious allegations of genocide. Those accusations are categorically false, and they fuel antisemitism around the world. America fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself. Israel has taken numerous measures to limit harm to civilians and address humanitarian needs. The loss of life in Gaza is tragic, but responsibility for that rests with Hamas, which could stop the fighting today by freeing the hostages and agreeing to a ceasefire on the terms already accepted by Israel.

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

For almost 650 days now, more than 2 million Palestinians, half of them children, have woken up not knowing if they will make it through the day and have gone to sleep not knowing if they will wake up the next morning, day after day after day. They have spent every hour — all 15,600 of them — with death besieging them. For an entire generation of Palestinians, death is now much more familiar than life. Two million people have to snatch everything out of the claws of death — food, water, shelter, time. They are being killed in the places where they are supposed to find life — killed in tents, killed while seeking food or water, killed in hospitals. Every single day has its share of tragedies, and we will speak of them today. Fifteen civilians, including nine children, were killed while waiting to receive treatment for malnutrition. Eleven were killed, including seven children, while queuing for water because of the occupation-made scarcity of food and water. And every day, 40, 50, 60 Palestinians are killed while seeking food. We fear that the world is growing accustomed to the unbearable, the unacceptable. Imagine what it is to be a parent in Gaza. Parents know that any disease or any wound can be fatal for their child. They know that the family they leave behind to seek food, water or help could be gone by the time they return. Do they take them to the hospital with the fear that they might be killed there or keep them close, where they might die in their arms? Do they go to get food and risk getting shot, send a family member and risk losing them or stay and risk seeing their children starve to death? Do they go to get water, send a member of their family to fetch it at the peril of their life or risk seeing their family die of thirst? Do they evacuate one more time, forcibly displaced again and again, and get killed on the way or stay put and get killed where they are? Every decision that they are making as we speak is a life-or-death decision, every single day, every single hour, every single minute. But it is a Russian roulette with a bullet in almost every chamber. Whatever decision they make, someone is most probably going to die. Every single family in Gaza is moving between one death and another as the whole world watches on, for 1 million minutes now. In Gaza, all paths lead to death, and our role, our responsibility and our legal and moral duty is to open one that leads to salvation. Israel wants that path to be to leave Gaza. That was the whole plan, from day one. In the words of Mahmoud Darwish, this siege will endure until we are truly persuaded into choosing a harmless Humanitarian assistance and international law are expressions of our recognition of the value of all human life and the inherent dignity of each and every person. States, peoples and human beings have rights, but Israel does not recognize our State. It does not recognize our people. It does not recognize us as equal human beings endowed with rights. It finds it outrageous that anyone can dare be outraged by the fate it has reserved for our people. The distribution of aid is the distribution of life. It is about safeguarding life. We measure our success by impact, by the lives we save. We keep discussing trucks and how many meals were distributed and count calories while infants are dying of malnutrition, civilians are risking their lives seeking food, water and shelter and the infrastructure of life is being completely dismantled. Aid must be delivered at scale. Aid must be delivered to all. Aid must be delivered across all of Gaza. This is non-negotiable. This should not be a point of contention or debate or discussion. Israel has obligations as an occupying Power to do so. We support an immediate ceasefire and the mediation efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States to secure such a ceasefire. But that is not a reason, an excuse or a pretext to continue killing Palestinians in the meantime, or to continue denying them the aid that they are entitled to. Every day, a death sentence is executed against somewhere between 90 and 130 Palestinians. What is their crime? The real crime that they are being executed for is being Palestinian. How is that possible? Council members have heard Israeli leaders say that there are no innocent civilians in Gaza and speak of human animals, and they are treating our people as such. What if we had said those words? What if we had said that there are no innocents in Israel, that they support the occupation, that they support the genocide, that they voted for the people killing us, occupying us or subjugating us and that they cheered while we were killed? That is not acceptable reasoning. No civilian can be killed based on what a group or a government is doing. No civilian can be held responsible for or be killed for that. All civilians are entitled to protection, regardless of nationality, faith or race. They are entitled to be protected from being killed, from being taken hostage or arbitrarily detained, from being subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment, to torture, to forcible displacement. Those are the basics. Those are the foundations of our international law-based order, and we still need to speak about them yet again because they are not being upheld. The continuous incitement and dehumanization kill and make the most horrific plans become mainstream in Israel, including the crazy and criminal idea of ethnically cleansing the Gaza Strip. Every day — and it has been 650 days — 77 children are killed or maimed in Gaza. Every day, 61 children in Gaza lose a parent. Every day, 10 children lose one or both legs — every single day. It is the biggest cohort of children killed and maimed, the biggest cohort of child amputees and the biggest cohort of orphans. How is that possible? Netanyahu summed it up when he said that “this is a struggle between the children of light and the children of darkness”. Why should one care about the children of darkness? All children are God’s creation; all children are God’s children. Here they are, those Palestinian children whose light shines over the entire Earth and who were subjected to darkness. Here is Hind, who was stuck in a car with her family, and after all the adults had been killed, her cousin Layan, 15 years old, was Here are Khalid and Reem. We did not discover them like this. They were inseparable. We discovered them only when Reem was killed, as her grandfather was holding her, his 3-year-old granddaughter, kissing her as if she was still alive, calling upon her, the soul of his soul, to stay with him. A few months later, Khalid was also killed. Here is Yousif, the 7-year-old, the youngest of his family, the boy with the curly hair, as he would come to be known by all Palestinians and by people around the world — also killed. Here is the family of paediatrician Alaa Al-Najjar, who lost nine of her ten children: Sidra, Luqman, Saydeen, Rivan, Ruslan, Jubran, Eve, Rakan and Yahya, aged between seven months and 12 years. Only Adam survived. The entire Arafat family found itself under the rubble. Thirteen members of the family were killed, including seven children, in an air strike, and the Israeli forces prevented rescuers from saving them. The images of Hala, aged 35, as she was calling to be saved from under the rubble, will remain part of the collective memory of our people. And Salam, whom you evoked, Mr. President, was six months old when she was screened for malnutrition, only to die a few days later — one image among many of our children starving. I will spare Council members the images of our children burning. Here is Donia, who lost a leg in an Israeli air strike in which she also lost her family members — her mother, her father, her brother and sister. And Donia, ever resilient, said, “I will not lose hope. I will not give up on my dreams. I will become a doctor to help people.” She was killed when a tank shell struck a children’s ward in Nasser Hospital a few weeks later. Hoor lost her leg and her family — her father, her mother and her three brothers. Doctors had to amputate her left hand entirely and the fingers of her right hand, and she also has wounds to her head and legs. Siwar, 3 years old, and Selina, 21 months old, were together in life and are together in death. Among these unfortunately tragic images is the one that won the World Press Photo Award. Taken by Samar Abu Elouf, it is a photo of Mahmoud, a 9-year-old Palestinian boy whose arms were severed and mutilated during an Israeli attack on Gaza. Also in the West Bank was 8-year-old Adam. He ran when Israeli occupation forces shot at him, his brother and his cousin. His cousin was killed, and he was killed when he was struck by a bullet as he was running away, a bullet in the back of his head. Remember these faces. It is our duty to remind the Council of them and not allow Council members to forget them. And remember all the children whom we can still save. In the West Bank, Israel displaced 40,000 people and destroyed entire refugee camps in Tulkarm, Tubas and Jenin. It killed almost 1,000 Palestinians in the past 20 months, including 200 children. Palestinian villages are under incessant attacks by settlers and occupation forces from Masafer Yatta to Kafr Malik, from Tayyiba to Dayr Dibwan to Sinjil, where Saif Musallet was beaten to death by settlers, and Mohammad Al-Shalabi was shot in the chest and died. And again, there in the West Bank also, rescuers were prevented from reaching the victims for several hours until they could no longer be saved. They are the same patterns, occurring at a different scale: rampage and burning, destroying and killing Palestinian families, destroying homes, hospitals, schools, mosques, churches, cemeteries, infrastructure What world is this, in which Israel can claim that it can kill anyone in Gaza? They are either terrorists who deserve to be killed or human shields whom it cannot be blamed for killing. What if we accept that reasoning, that a State cannot be held responsible for the people it kills? Is that the precedent? Is that the world we want to be living in? It is a genocide. Many observers say it; many independent organizations say it; and many scholars from Israel and the rest of the world say it. And we blame Israel for those actions, not Israeli civilians and not Jews around the world. They are not responsible for what Israel is doing, and many Jews around the world stand for justice in Palestine and elsewhere. They call it a genocide, and they are fighting to stop this genocide and for a future of peace. People in Israel also are able to say it, and we are able to say it around this table. And we stand with anyone, regardless of nationality or faith, who stands for justice. We stand side by side, shoulder to shoulder. What world is this, in which one party can destroy a country and all the requirements for life and then pretend to be human and give lessons about the right to voluntary migration? “Let them leave. This place is hell”, says the person who turned it into hell in the first place. What world is this, in which a country can use starvation and thirst as weapons of war and then, under pressure to stop, is able to turn aid distribution into a tool to advance death and displacement at the same time? What world is this, in which putting an end to massacres or getting aid distributed is subject to negotiations? What world is this, in which the word “humanitarian” is used to characterize a so-called “city” that is inhumane in its design and purpose? Terms are being distorted, and rules are not only being breached, but they are also being obliterated. And it is our people who are paying the price. What world is this, in which those defending international law are considered guilty and the perpetrators can never be held to account and in which Israel can be prosecutor, judge and executioner, and then we will ask it to investigate its own crimes — the ones whose commission was ordered at the highest level of its leadership, which is espousing these crimes, pushing for these crimes, inciting these crimes, organizing and planning these crimes? What world is this, in which humanitarians trying to save lives are attacked and killed, in which health workers, humanitarians and United Nations personnel are blamed by those killing them for their own deaths. What world is this, in which those documenting the crimes have to perish in order to be silenced? What world is this, in which we need to say that aid is not a bargaining chip, not a method of pressure, not a weapon of war and not an instrument of forcible displacement? In conclusion, our role is not to be the narrators of this genocide but to be part of the movement that brings it to an end. Our role is not to be witnesses and testify; it is to deliver justice and peace. The fate of a nation depends on the decisions that States are willing to take today to save civilians, to end the genocide, to achieve a ceasefire, to release hostages and prisoners, to deliver aid, to ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces, to deliver justice, to end occupation, to achieve shared peace and security for all and to save humanity and our international law-based order. This world is doomed and damned if it continues to allow Palestinians to be killed in this manner and to allow children to be killed in this manner. Save Gaza so that we all may be saved by Gaza. That will continue to be our call on all — States, individuals, entities, organizations, agencies  — to act. Save Gaza, or we are all doomed. Save Gaza so that we all can be saved by Gaza.

I now give the floor to the representative of Israel. Roni and Alma Miran are four and two-and-a-half years old, respectively. Like many children their age, they regularly make pretend phone calls on their toy phones, but unlike most children their age, when their mother, Lishay, asks them to whom they are speaking, their answer carries a deep pain. The answer is always the same: “Abba” — “Dad”. They ask, “Where are you, Daddy? Are they letting you return to us?” They hug and kiss his photo, not having been able to physically do the same to him for 21 months. Their father, Omri Miran, has been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza for 649 days. For those two young girls, that is nearly their entire lives without their Abba. Earlier this month, twin sisters Emma and Yuli Cunio, who were themselves abducted by Hamas alongside their parents on 7 October 2023, celebrated their fifth birthday. What should have been a day filled with balloons, laughter and joy was instead a sombre affair, marked by absence and pain because it was their second birthday without their father, David Cunio, who is still held hostage in Gaza. Their birthday wish was heartbreakingly simple: “We just want Dad to come back home.” These are not isolated tragedies. These are not statistics. These are shattered families, suffering each day in suspended agony. These are innocent civilians held by terrorists — a horror that the world must never normalize, a horror that Israel will not accept. We meet today again to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza with a briefing from UNICEF concerning the situation of Palestinian children. Yes, the suffering of Palestinian children and the suffering of children anywhere demands our attention. Yet the glaring silence of the Council about Israeli children, hostages, murdered toddlers like the Bibas boys, traumatized survivors who will never see their parents again and children running for shelter as Iranian missiles rain down on civilian population centres is more than a technical omission; it is a moral failure. Scores of Israeli children were mutilated, tortured and murdered on 7 October — innocent lives cut short by the barbarity of Hamas terrorists. Those children were victims of an evil that the Council seems unwilling to address or condemn: Hamas. Instead, we are presented with a narrative that forces Israel into the defendant’s chair, while Hamas — the very cause of this conflict and the very instigator of the suffering of not only Israelis but also Palestinians — goes unmentioned, unchallenged and immune to condemnation. Some in the Council seem to forget what caused the humanitarian situation in Gaza. To address the situation without mentioning Hamas’ war crimes — the hiding of weapons in schools, the firing of rockets from hospitals, the use of civilians as human shields — is not humanitarian concern; it is propaganda. And even this additional meeting held today, a week before an already scheduled, dedicated Council meeting, plays directly into the hands of the terrorists who engineered this conflict. It does not support peace but politicizes suffering. Rather than requesting concrete consultations to learn about the efforts on the ground, the But we will not allow that aid to become fuel for terror. And yet even as aid flows in, Hamas does everything in its power to disrupt it. It loots supplies. It obstructs distribution. It intimidates international aid workers. It fires at aid convoys, steals fuel intended for hospitals and hoards food for its terrorists. It turns the suffering of the civilians of Gaza into a tool of leverage and then blames Israel for the very hardship that it manufactures. Anyone who truly cares about humanitarian assistance must be serious about condemning those who prevent it from reaching the people. Let us stop pretending that Hamas is a bystander to this crisis. They are its architect. Therefore, I ask, does the Council stand with the effort to improve the situation on the ground or with those who obstruct it? While the Council speaks of humanitarian suffering, let us provide an update on the real humanitarian action under way. Over the past two weeks, Israel, together with international organizations, has facilitated the entry of thousands of tons of humanitarian aid into Gaza, using a mechanism designed, specifically, to bypass Hamas terrorists and reach the civilian population directly. These efforts have been coordinated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has now delivered more than 66 million meals to Gazans. In addition, more than 7,500 tons of flour have been delivered to bakeries across Gaza, ensuring bread for families. Today alone, more than 130 patients and caregivers, including children, exited Gaza through the Kerem Shalom and Allenby Bridge crossings for treatment abroad. Perhaps it is time to put an end to the dissemination of disinformation by some in the Council regarding which paths lead to what. There are paths of cooperation and improvement. Earlier this week, on 13 July, nearly 100 tons of baby formula donated by UNICEF entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, facilitated by Israel. We do wonder why this was omitted from the briefing this afternoon. It should be absolutely clear. The aid is for the civilians in Gaza, not for Hamas, and we will continue to facilitate it. One cannot claim to care about the children and people of Gaza while ignoring the suffering of Israeli children and hostages still held there. A mere mention, a single reference in a 15-minute presentation is not enough. The empty words will not do. Council members cannot champion peace while turning a blind eye to those who wage terror. If this Chamber truly wishes to ease the suffering of all children, Israeli and Palestinians, then Council members must confront the root of this conflict, and that root is Hamas. Hamas has built its war machine at the expense of Palestinian lives and futures. It has robbed Gazan children of their innocence, indoctrinating them with hate in their classrooms, using them as human shields and bearing weapons in their schools and hospitals. There are those who wish to work with Israel in good faith, regional partners who cooperate with us to bring hope to children across the region. It can be achieved, but it can only be achieved without Hamas. It is time for the Council to speak and act with moral clarity to achieve this goal; by demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, deceased and alive, still held in Gaza; by condemning Hamas, unequivocally, for what it has done to Israelis but also for what it has caused for the Palestinians; and by designating Hamas as the terror organization it is. This is what the Council should be focusing on. Israel, for its part, will continue to work with the United States, Egypt and Qatar to reach a hostage deal and to bring all our loved ones home. In conclusion, every child deserves safety. Every child deserves a future. That future cannot be built on hate. Our children, all children, deserve more than the Council’s silence in the face of terror. They deserve your voice, and they deserve your action. And Alma, Rony, Emma and Yuli deserve to hug their fathers again.

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Hakan Fidan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Türkiye.

As we gather in this Chamber today, the genocidal war of Israel against the Palestinian people continues unabated. More than 2 million people are enduring unspeakable suffering in the Gaza Strip. Mass displacement and widespread destruction continue. Deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid is a daily occurrence. Civilians are being indiscriminately killed at aid distribution points as they try to access food and water. Starvation is used as a weapon of war. There is no single principle of international humanitarian law that is not violated by Israel. There is no need to mince our words. Let us face the stark reality as it is. Eighty years later, the world has been, once again, witnessing concentration camps. A campaign of extermination is ongoing against an entire population. It does not make any difference whether a person is a child trying to fetch water for their family or a mother seeking food for her children. That person is the target of the Israeli war machine. This is a machine fed by hate and this is a machine fed by impunity. This is only possible because some of us choose to look away even in the face of extreme suffering. This cannot continue. There has been no safe access to humanitarian aid in Gaza for more than four months now. The only effective means of delivering aid is through the United Nations. Alternative models compromise the impartiality and dignity of aid delivery. Aid must be delivered promptly, adequately and without obstruction, through all available crossings, in full accordance with international humanitarian law and in coordination with the United Nations. The core humanitarian principle of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence must be upheld. To achieve exactly that, from the outset, we have called upon the international community to take urgent action to prevent the spread of war. Israel is trying to implement a strategy of aggression not only in Palestine but also in Lebanon, Syria and Iran. There is a clear pattern here. If left unchecked, this pattern risks wider destabilization. We should, collectively, ensure that Syria does not fall into a spiral of violence. The stakes are very high. The ensuing instability will affect the whole region and beyond. The recognition of the legitimate rights of Palestinian people and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine remain essential for lasting peace in the Middle East. That is why we will continue to work towards increasing the international recognition of the State of Palestine and securing full Palestinian membership of the United Nations. One fact is clear beyond any doubt. The United Nations Security Council not only failed the people of Gaza, it failed human dignity. It failed the very values and principles that the United Nations is founded upon. The crisis in Gaza has passed the point of being a humanitarian emergency. This is now a profound test of our collective humanity. We either pass this test together or fail as a whole. What needs to be done is crystal clear  — stop the Israeli war machine; stop impunity; an immediate and sustained ceasefire now; unhindered humanitarian aid now; a renewed and urgent commitment to the two-State solution now.

I now give the floor to Mr. Lambrinidis. Mr. Lambrinidis: The European Union (EU) deplores the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, the unacceptable number of civilian casualties and the levels of starvation. The EU recalls the imperative of ensuring the protection of all civilians, including humanitarian workers, at all times, as well as of civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities and schools, as well as United Nations premises. The European Union calls on Israel to fully lift its blockade on Gaza, to allow immediate, unimpeded, safe and predictable access and the sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale into and throughout Gaza and to enable the United Nations and its agencies and humanitarian organizations to work independently and impartially to save lives and reduce suffering. The EU has consistently called on Israel to fully comply with its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law. After a meeting of the EU Council of Ministers in June, the EU High Representative, Ms. Kaja Kallas, entered into a dialogue with Israeli authorities on the humanitarian situation. Following that dialogue between the EU and Israel, steps have been agreed by Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Those expected steps include, among other things: the substantial increase of daily trucks for food and non-food items to enter Gaza; the opening of several other crossing points in both northern and southern areas; the reopening of the Jordanian and Egyptian aid routes; enabling the distribution of food supplies through bakeries and public kitchens throughout the Gaza Strip; the resumption of fuel deliveries for use by humanitarian facilities, up to an operational level; the protection of aid workers; the repair of and facilitation of works on vital infrastructure, such as the resumption of the power supply to the water desalination facility. We can already see some improvements, including the delivery of fuel, the reopening of the Jordanian and Egyptian routes, the opening of a crossing point in north Gaza and ongoing repairs to essential humanitarian infrastructure, but a lot more is needed. Those measures are to be implemented with the common understanding that aid at scale must be delivered in accordance with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence and that measures will continue to be taken to ensure that there is no aid diversion to Hamas or elsewhere. The EU At the same time, the European Union continues to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional release of all hostages, leading to a permanent end to hostilities. The EU continues to fully support the mediators — the United States, Egypt and Qatar. The EU deplores Hamas’ refusal to hand over the remaining hostages. I reaffirm the EU’s commitment to a lasting and sustainable peace based on the two-State solution, with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign and viable State of Palestine living side by side in peace and security and mutual recognition. We are ready to contribute to all efforts towards that solution and call on all parties to refrain from actions that undermine its viability. In that context, the EU will continue to support the Palestinian Authority and its reform agenda. In that same context, we look forward to the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution to be co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia from 28 to 30 July.

There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers. I now invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion of the subject.