Medio Oriente – briefing Consiglio di Sicurezza – OCHA: Edem Wosornu, direttore operazioni e advocacy, a nome di Joyce Msuya, coordinatrice ad interim per gli affari umanitari e gli aiuti d’emergenza.
New York, 4 September 2024.
As delivered.
Thank you, Mr. President, for the opportunity to update the Council, alongside Under-Secretary-General [for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary] DiCarlo following our briefing last week.
Mr. President, Members of the Council,
The latest developments in Gaza and the West Bank compel us to reaffirm, yet again, the equal value of every human life.
The aim of international humanitarian law is to limit the consequences of war by setting minimum standards of conduct to protect and meet the needs of those who are not fighting – the basic requirements of humanity.
Yet, suffering and devastation show that there has been almost no limit to the inhumanity unfolding before our eyes.
There are no winners in this war – instead, it is marked by loss and agony, with civilians bearing the heaviest burden.
As Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo has just noted, we see this in the Hamas attacks on October 7, when more than 1,000 people were killed, including scores of children.
We see this in the recent killings of six hostages. Again, as Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo has said, an estimated 101 Israeli and foreign nationals remain hostage in Gaza, including the remains of those declared dead.
We are alarmed by the treatment and conditions of the remaining hostages and the refusal to allow visits or assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Mr. President,
We also have grave concerns about the injury and death toll among Palestinians in Gaza – more than 40,000 people killed and 93,000 people injured, over half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
Much of this death and devastation is the result of the use of heavy weapons in densely populated areas, including in camps, shelters and areas where civilians have been told to evacuate.
Mr. President, members of the Council
The brutality of this conflict seems to know no limits.
We see this in the many attacks harming humanitarian workers: 295 humanitarian workers killed since 7 October.
We also see this in the attacks on humanitarian assets: since January, United Nations vehicles have been directly hit in more than a dozen separate incidents even though their movements were notified.
Attacks hitting humanitarian personnel and their movement are further limiting the delivery of life-saving aid. As noted last week, the World Food Programme temporarily suspended staff movements following an attack that hit one of its convoys on 28 August.
We see it in the reports of ill-treatment, including torture and sexual violence, of thousands of Palestinians taken into detention by Israeli forces in Gaza and the West Bank.
We see this in the parties’ reported use of human shields, and the embedding of military presence in populated areas.
The medical system in Gaza has been decimated, leaving people – including pregnant and breastfeeding women, and small children – without critical care. 19 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals – more than half – are out of service. As noted, many times before, the remaining hospitals are barely functioning, overwhelmed by patients amid shortages of fuel and medical supplies.
Water infrastructure has been severely hampered, damaged, reducing the water supply to just a quarter of what it was before October 2023.
Food sources and production facilities have been destroyed. Food delivery remains severely hampered by ongoing fighting, damaged roads, and barriers to the entry and movement of humanitarian supplies. Around 96 per cent of the population continue to face high levels of acute food insecurity, with nearly half a million people facing catastrophic hunger.
Vital humanitarian operations have been crippled, with growing denials of humanitarian missions and movements within Gaza, which is only causing suffering to compound further.
At the same time, repeated evacuation orders leave civilians exposed to the dangers of hostilities and deprived of the essentials to survive. There is no safe place for civilians in Gaza. They must be allowed to seek protection.
Mr. President,
It does not have to be this way.
Indeed, over the past few days, there have been signs that humanitarian objectives can inspire positive steps.
We welcome the local humanitarian pauses, which have enabled the launch of the emergency polio vaccination campaign, again, as Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo highlighted), and recognize the colossal efforts of health actors to carry out the campaign in a very challenging environment. The Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator met with the highest levels of the Government of Israel yesterday on humanitarian concerns, including the importance of the polio campaign.
According to the World Health Organization, over 187,000 children under the age of 10 have been vaccinated in the first phase of the campaign, towards the goal of reaching more than 640,000 children in the coming period. UNRWA [the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East] is playing a vital role, including with over 200 teams operating in its clinics and health points.
We also welcome the repair of the main water line between Israel and Khan Younis by local partners in cooperation with UNICEF. While the water and sanitation situation in Gaza remains dire, the repair has restored water service in several areas, including Al Mawasi, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people endure unbearable conditions.
Despite all the challenges, we remain on the ground in Al Mawasi and across Gaza, providing essential assistance, including food and shelter, and protection services, as best we can. Food rations are being distributed, albeit at reduced levels. Due to the lack of supplies, wheat flour is excluded from the ration as it is prioritized for the 14 bakeries supported by humanitarian actors. Tents are also being distributed, though they are insufficient to match the needs of repeatedly displaced families, especially with the approaching cold and rainy weather.
Mr. President, distinguished members of the Council,
Allow me to reiterate our concern from last week – we remain very alarmed by the human toll of intensified Israeli military operations in the West Bank.
On the night of 27 and 28 August, Israeli Forces launched the largest military operation in decades in northern West Bank, against the backdrop of increased casualties, settler violence, forced displacement and movement restrictions. It’s now been a week, and that operation is still ongoing.
Humanitarian organizations assessed needs in Tulkarm and are responding but were denied access by Israeli forces for an assessment in Jenin.
While access denials have limited our ability to fully assess the humanitarian impact, we can confirm that over two dozen Palestinians have been killed over the past week; hundreds of families have been displaced; and there has been widescale damage to basic infrastructure and private property from airstrikes, military bulldozers, exchanges of fire and explosive detonations.
I recall that any use of force in the West Bank must comply with international human rights law and the standards governing law enforcement. Tactics typically used during hostilities in armed conflict are inconsistent with these standards and raise concerns of excessive use of force.
Mr. President,
Respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law is not optional. Allow me to restate that hostages must be released, civilians must be protected, and their essential needs must be met. This Council – and all Member States – must use their influence to ensure compliance, including by exerting diplomatic and other pressure and cooperating in pursuing accountability.
We once again appeal to Council Members and all Member States to achieve an immediate cessation of hostilities and a sustained ceasefire in Gaza, and to de-escalate the situation in the West Bank. Resolutions passed by this Council promised an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. They also called for the release of hostages. Yet, months later, the violence continues, thousands more people have been killed, and hostages remain separated from their families.
It is time for this Council to turn its promises into reality and end the suffering.
Thank you.
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Osservazioni del Sottosegretario generale per gli Affari politici e di costruzione della pace Rosemary DiCarlo al Consiglio di sicurezza sulla situazione in Medio Oriente, compresa la questione palestinese.
New York, 4 settembre 2024.
Mr. President,
Nearly a year has passed since the horrific attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Israel. The single deadliest attack in the country’s history. Over 1,250 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed and around 250 individuals were abducted and taken into Gaza.
A few days ago, we learned the heartbreaking news of the killing of six Israeli hostages, whose bodies were recovered by the Israeli Defense Forces in Gaza.
I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I met the loved ones of several hostages last November in Jerusalem, including the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin. I watched the shocking and heartbreaking video footage of his capture – images I will never forget.
According to the Israeli government, the hostages had been shot multiple times at close range. They were killed by Hamas shortly before Israeli soldiers were able to reach them inside a tunnel in Rafah.
Following the recovery of the bodies, Hamas announced that militants guarding hostages in the buildings and tunnels of Gaza had new instructions to kill hostages before they could be recovered alive by Israeli forces.
At least 101 hostages are still held in Gaza; they are still denied humanitarian visits. Accounts of released hostages and other reports indicate that they are likely being held in horrific conditions, with some being subject to violence, including sexual violence, and other forms of abuse.
I echo the words of the Secretary-General once again: all hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally. For as long as they are held, in accordance with international legal obligations, they must be treated humanely and allowed to receive visits and assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Mr. President,
We need an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages, and a massive scale up of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
I welcome the continued efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States in this regard. Recent meetings in Doha and Cairo attempted to bridge gaps, but major differences persist. More must be done to reach a deal without further delay. The United Nations remains committed to supporting all efforts to this end.
Meanwhile, the situation on the ground looks grim. Israeli military operations continue across Gaza and the number of fatalities tragically keeps increasing.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health (MOH), since 7 October, some 41,000 Palestinians have been killed, a majority of whom were reportedly women and children.
We continue to witness mass displacement of thousands of Palestinian families – most unable to access medical services, water and sanitation. Many families have been displaced several times. Nowhere is safe in Gaza.
At the same time, the indiscriminate launching of rockets by Hamas and other armed groups towards population centres in Israel also continues. Civilian objects in Gaza, including infrastructure are also reportedly being used to shield fighters and military objectives, endangering the lives of civilians in and around them.
Civilians should not be used as human shields.
Humanitarian access is tenuous at best, jeopardized by unsafe conditions, including a complete breakdown of law and order throughout Gaza. The 27 August security incident involving a WFP humanitarian convoy forced the Agency to temporarily suspend the movement of its staff.
My colleague, Director Wosornu from OCHA, will shortly brief you further on the catastrophic humanitarian situation and the agonizing conditions faced by humanitarian workers.
Also, the Secretary-General has been following closely the polio immunization campaign currently underway in Gaza. The images of young children receiving their vaccinations amid rubble and utter ruin are both moving and distressing.
The polio pauses are a rare ray of hope and humanity amid the horror in Gaza. I note that the arrangements established between UN agencies and the IDF to pause military activity in the designated vaccination areas have so far been respected.
Like the Secretary-General, I commend all those involved in this undertaking, especially our extraordinary humanitarian colleagues leading the campaign.
Mr. President,
While we continue to focus on ending the killing and destruction in Gaza, we cannot lose sight of the alarming situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. This includes Israeli military operations, settler attacks and armed Palestinian violence against Israelis.
Most recently, Israel launched on 28 August large-scale military operations against alleged terrorist cells in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas governorates. The operations also involved the use of airstrikes.
These intensive and week-long operations resulted in clashes with armed Palestinians, civilian casualties, and damage to civilian infrastructure.
The operations were launched amid an uptick in attacks and clashes throughout the occupied West Bank, including in the Hebron area, with two car bombs near Israeli settlements the night of 30 August, the killing of three Israeli police officers in their car the following day, and a subsequent Israeli military operation in the area.
Overall, since 7 October, some 630 Palestinians and 15 Israelis have been killed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. All perpetrators of violence – Israeli or Palestinian – must be held accountable.
Recent dangerous and provocative acts and statements are further enflaming the situation. Statements by Palestinian armed groups calling for further violence and attacks against Israelis are unacceptable and must cease. The recent inflammatory acts and statements by an Israeli Minister at the Holy Sites in Jerusalem add to an already explosive situation in the occupied West Bank.
The status quo at the Holy Sites in Jerusalem must be respected and upheld, recognizing the special and historic role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as custodian of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem.
Mr. President,
With every passing day we get further away from the objective of ending the occupation and achieving a viable two-State solution.
We remain convinced that durable peace will only be achieved when Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian state live side by side in peace and security within secure and recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.
It is our responsibility to do all we can to support the parties in reaching that objective.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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