By Blessing Nweke
United Nations officials convened a high-stakes briefing at the UN Security Council on Friday, tackling the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. The meeting commenced with a minute of silence to honor the lives lost, including Palestinians, Israeli citizens, foreign nationals, UN officials, and journalists in Gaza and the West Bank.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus painted a grim picture of the situation in Gaza, where “morgues are overflowing; surgery is performed without anesthesia, and tens of thousands of displaced people have sought shelter in hospitals.”
Ghebreyesus revealed shocking statistics, stating that the WHO has documented over 250 attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza and the West Bank since October 7. Additionally, the WHO reported 25 attacks on healthcare in Israel. “Half of the Gaza Strip’s 36 hospitals and two-thirds of its primary healthcare centers are non-operational,” Ghebreyesus emphasized.
Acknowledging the grief and fear on both sides, Ghebreyesus stated, “I fully understand the anger, grief, and fear of the Israeli people following the horrific, barbaric, and unjustifiable attacks by Hamas and other armed groups on Israeli civilians on the 7th of October.” He continued, “I also understand the anger, grief, and fear of the people of Gaza, who had already suffered through 16 years of blockade and are now enduring the destruction of their families, homes, communities, and the life they knew.”
The UN representative for the United Arab Emirates, Lana Nusseibeh, called for the meeting, urging Israel to “end its siege on Gaza.” She expressed her deep concern, saying, “It is unconscionable that 33 days have passed since the destruction of Gaza began, without any Council action and response. It is time to act and to respond and help save innocent lives.”
During the meeting, the Israeli and Palestinian UN representatives traded accusations of targeting medical facilities. Ambassador Riyad Mansour, the Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the UN, made a heartfelt plea for UN countries to “stop the massacre.” He alleged that hospitals in Gaza were Israel’s primary target and that they had been besieged and bombed.
Mansour also accused Israel of driving the displacement of Palestinians, stating, “They want us out of our country, out of our land. Their strategic enemy is the independence of our state.”
In a poignant moment, Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan appeared wearing a yellow star with the words “Never Again.” He harshly rebuked UN officials, claiming they were “relaying falsehoods that are completely detached from reality.” Erdan went further, accusing Hamas of targeting hospitals and using them as bases while misusing ambulances.
“Every medical worker, doctor, and patient in Gaza is a human shield for the Hamas terrorists,” Erdan asserted.
The Security Council briefing exposed the deep divides and tensions surrounding the ongoing conflict in Gaza, with both Israeli and Palestinian representatives vehemently defending their positions. As the international community watches with growing concern, the urgent need for humanitarian intervention in Gaza remains at the forefront of global discussions.
This crisis continues to be a flashpoint in the Middle East, with no clear resolution in sight as the world grapples with the complexities of this long-standing conflict and the devastating humanitarian consequences it brings.
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