NEW YORK: The humanitarian support system in Gaza is close to total collapse, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Wednesday.
In his remarks delivered by Chef de Cabinet Courtenay Rattray to the Security Council open debate on the Middle East in New York, Guterres warned that ‘the humanitarian support system in Gaza is close to total collapse’ as the Israeli genocidal onslaught on the Gaza Strip has persisted for over nine months.
Rattray stressed that ‘nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people’ while pointing out that ‘almost half a million people face catastrophic levels of food insecurity. Communicable diseases are on the rise. Chokeholds on the fuel-supply have severely reduced access to water, sanitation, hygiene and health services’ as the UN personnel ‘severe challenges and deadly risks’.
He said that ‘the entry of humanitarian aid at scale, and its delivery to all parts of Gaza, are essential to the survival and well-being of civilians,’ and
noted that ‘It is long past time for a safe enabling environment for effective humanitarian operations in Gaza, in line with international humanitarian law.’
‘As much of the world’s attention is focused on Gaza, the occupied West Bank – including East Jerusalem – faces perilous conditions,’ he cautioned.
‘Between 7 October 2023 and 17 July 2024, 557 Palestinians – including 138 children – were killed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem; the vast majority were killed ]by the Israeli occupation forces[,’ he added.
Highlighting the impact of Israeli punitive measures, he said: ‘Meanwhile, Israeli measures are undermining the Palestinian Authority, crippling the Palestinian economy and driving instability.’
‘This month, the Israeli security cabinet approved a series of punitive steps against the Palestinian Authority. The steps reportedly include the legalization, under Israeli law, of five Israeli outposts in the occupied West Bank, the advancement of thousands of settlement housing units, an
d demolitions in parts of Area B in the occupied West Bank,’ he elaborated.
‘Recent developments are driving a stake through the heart of any prospect for a two-State solution. The geography of the occupied West Bank is steadily being altered through Israeli administrative and legal steps. The seizure of large land parcels in strategic areas and changes to planning, land management and governance are expected to significantly accelerate settlement-expansion,’ he added.
‘These changes include the issuance of two military orders at the end of May. These orders transferred powers to, and appointed, a civilian deputy in Israel’s Civil Administration, which is alarming. This move is another significant advance in the ongoing transfer of authority over many aspects of daily life in the occupied West Bank, and a further step towards extending Israeli sovereignty over this occupied territory.’
‘If left unaddressed, these measures risk causing irreparable damage,’ he added.
He stressed the need to ‘change course’
by the means of the immediate cessation of all colonial settlement activity and holding perpetrators of violence accountable.
‘All settlement activity must cease immediately. Israeli settlements are a flagrant violation of international law and a key obstacle to peace. The violence must end, and the perpetrators of the violence must be swiftly brought to justice,’ he stressed as he urged Israel to ‘ensure the safety and security of the Palestinian population.’
He called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and noted that ‘The humanitarian situation in Gaza is a moral stain on us all. International humanitarian law must be respected – at all times and by all parties.’
He also called for the intensification of ‘efforts to increase humanitarian aid delivery’ while noting that ‘International support to these efforts is critical, particularly for the essential work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).’
Commenting on the situation of
Palestinians in Israeli custody, he said: ‘Amid continued reports of serious abuses against Palestinians in Israeli custody, I reiterate that all detainees must be treated humanely and those held without lawful cause must be released. And this terrible war must end.’
He emphasized the need to ‘refocus on finding a political solution that will end the occupation and resolve the conflict in line with international law, and relevant United Nations resolutions’ as well as that ‘Ensuring that governance is restored in Gaza under a single, legitimate Palestinian Government is essential to that effort.’
Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA