On the day marking the 78th anniversary since the founding of the United Nations Charter, a Security Council meeting resumed this Tuesday to address the crisis between Israel and Palestine. Following two failed resolutions, including one calling for a humanitarian ceasefire, the session opened with remarks from Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, who urged an immediate halt to hostilities and a pause to protect civilians.
The secretary-general reiterated the principle that even armed conflict must adhere to rules, calling on all parties to honor international humanitarian law and to act with restraint. He stressed the need to recognize that the current suffering does not emerge from a vacuum, highlighting decades of occupation, settlement activity, economic strangulation, home demolitions, displacement, and recurring violence that have shaped the situation for Palestinians.
Guterres condemned the violence carried out by Hamas since October 7, while underscoring that such attacks cannot justify collective punishment against Palestinians. He described the ongoing bombardment and the rising civilian toll as deeply troubling and cautioned against the escalation that threatens entire communities.
Clear violation of humanitarian law
The Portuguese diplomat underlined a grave concern about flagrant breaches of international humanitarian law observed in Gaza. He emphasized that protecting civilians does not entail forcing more than a million people to move south toward areas with scarce shelter, food, water, medicine, and fuel, while airstrikes continue in those areas. He welcomed the aid deliveries reaching Gaza but warned that they amount to a drop in the ocean of need.
The opening remarks from the secretary-general set the tone for a session that invited dozens of ministers and senior foreign affairs officials to participate in person. This gathering comes just ahead of a General Assembly meeting, echoing past moments when the Security Council faced paralysis on such crises. In those instances, responsibility shifted to a broader forum where all member states can voice their views, though their decisions remain nonbinding.
A devastating portrait
The gravity of the crisis was underscored by Guterres, the UN Middle East peace process coordinator Tor Wennesland, and humanitarian affairs chief Lynn Hastings. They presented a stark picture of the toll in Palestinian lands.
Hastings recalled the scale of casualties in the wake of Hamas attacks on October 7, noting that the Palestinian death toll from the ensuing conflict has surged since 2014, when a prior Gaza war lasted fifty days. He pointed out that 62 percent of the victims are women and children, and that about 1.4 million people have been displaced, with roughly 600,000 seeking shelter in UN facilities. He lamented the absence of reliable shelter in Gaza and highlighted the harrowing dilemma facing civilians: the choice to flee or stay, each option carrying grave risks.