6 – 12 May
On Friday, 10 May, the UN General Assembly convened again in New York for an emergency special session on the Gaza crisis and overwhelmingly passed a resolution which upgrades Palestine’s rights at the world body as an Observer State, without offering full membership. It urged the Security Council to give “favourable consideration” to Palestine’s request.
“A ground invasion in Rafah would be intolerable because of its devastating humanitarian consequences & its destabilizing impact in the region.”@antonioguterres repeats appeal to Israel & Hamas to reach ceasefire agreement. https://t.co/LyaxTWt3Ey pic.twitter.com/iX6XxXu9zK
— United Nations (@UN) May 6, 2024
With the situation in Gaza “worsening by the day”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday appealed for Israeli and Hamas leaders currently taking part in intense negotiations to reach a ceasefire agreement.
Onslaught of violence against women and children in Gaza unacceptable, say UN experts:
“We are horrified at details emerging from mass graves recently unearthed in the Gaza Strip. Over 390 bodies have been discovered at Nasser and Al Shifa hospitals, including of women and children, with many reportedly showing signs of torture and summary executions, and potential instances of people buried alive,” the experts said.
‘When a nightmare becomes the reality’ – UNICEF Spokesperson James Elder
7 May – “Every warning. Every story of children killed and wounded. Every image of heartbreak and bloodshed. Every mind-boggling piece of data on the number of children and mothers killed; of homes and hospitals destroyed. All Ignored.
“Our worst fear – Gazans’ nightmare – appears to be a reality. A reality that those holding power have the ability to prevent.
29 April – 5 May
On 2 May, Palestinian journalists covering Gaza were named as laureates of the 2024 UNESCO/Guillermo CanoWorld Press Freedom Prize, following the recommendation of an International Jury of media professionals.
An Israeli military operation in Rafah “could lead to a slaughter” and cripple lifesaving humanitarian work throughout Gaza, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, has said.
25 April
The international community has a duty and responsibility to work towards early recovery in Gaza, but “we cannot ask citizens to wait”, the UN official tasked with coordinating aid delivery into the besieged enclave has said.
Unilaterally cutting off Palestinian banks from the global banking system would be a violation of the fundamental principles of international law, two UN experts* warned today, after an Israeli Minister threatened to revoke a protection waiver issued annually to two banks in Israel that maintain connections to Palestinian financial institutions.
24 April
UNRWA is seeking US$ 1.21 billion to address the unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and respond to needs in the West Bank as violence increases.
The health infrastructure in Gaza has been decimated. The few hospitals still standing struggle to operate due to severe shortages of supplies and frequent power outages. As summer draws near and temperatures rise, communicable diseases threaten to sweep through Gaza.
Sigrid Kaag, UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza (full text)
