The UN envoy for the Middle East This Wednesday he called for an investigation into the attack on a hospital in Gaza Hundreds of people died, including patients, staff and displaced people who sought refuge in the facility.
Tor Wennesland attended an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the situation in the Middle East, a region that he said is experiencing one of the most difficult moments between the Israeli and Palestinian people in the last 75 years.
In his report to the council on efforts to end hostilities, the envoy recounted watching “with horror and in real time” reports of mass casualties from Al-Ahly Hospital in Gaza City.
“Hundreds of Palestinians were killed when a deadly fire hit Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza City. The circumstances and responsibility for this disaster remain unclear. and they need to be thoroughly investigated, but the result speaks for itself,” he noted.
It could change the development of the entire region
From Doha, Wennesland warned that this part of the world was on the edge of a deep and dangerous abyss could change the course of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Middle East as a wholeas the risk of the wildfire spreading is “very real and extremely dangerous”.
Wennesland noted that the United Nations is working to prevent this threat, saying that both he and Secretary-General António Guterres are in constant communication with the parties and regional and international actors “that have influence.”
He also explained that ongoing discussions with leaders in Egypt are focused on this Facilitating humanitarian access to Gaza through the Rafah crossingand “in common concerns and efforts to halt new regional hostilities.”
After condemning Hamas’ October 7 attacks against Israel and the hostage-taking, he regretted the international community’s inability to do so after more than a century of conflict and more than half a century of occupation failed to bring the parties to a fair and sustainable political solution.
Recent events have helped reignite grievances and revitalize alliances across the region, he added.
Wennesland highlighted currently two priority goals: the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages by Hamas and unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza.
The envoy also emphasized the fundamental necessity work towards a long-term political solution, in accordance with UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements.
Unhygienic conditions endanger the health of the people of Gaza.
More deaths in 11 days than in seven weeks in 2014
The head of the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs, who also attended the Council meeting, stressed in Cairo that within 11 days since the attack by Palestinian armed groups on Israel on October 7 The death toll has already surpassed that of hostilities in 2014, which lasted more than seven weeks.
“It cannot be regretted enough the pace of death, suffering, destruction and violations of international law“, emphasized Martin Griffiths.
The head of the emergency response said Israeli authorities had confirmed that 1,300 people had died and more than 4,200 were injured There are more than 3,000 dead and more than 12,500 injured in the besieged Gaza Strip, and hundreds of people are missing under the rubble.
Al Ahly Hospital had already been attacked
He noted that 28 health workers have died since October 7 in Gaza and 23 were injured and numerous health facilities were damaged. Al-Ahly Hospital, which was attacked yesterday, had already been attacked Target of an attack on October 14th.
“This tragedy highlights the devastating impact of this conflict on civilians the catastrophic consequences “What good will it do if it continues to escalate, as we fear,” warned the emergency relief coordinator
On the other hand, he pointed out that health services are overstretched and on the verge of collapse as they cannot meet the needs of the people increasing number of injured patients faced with increasing shortages of fuel, medicine and relief supplies.
It is imperative to open access for humanitarian aid
Griffiths stressed that it is imperative to enable safe humanitarian access throughout the Gaza Strip and to create a mechanism agreed by all relevant parties to make this possible regular attention to emergencies in the Gaza Strip by the UN and humanitarian actors.
Offer help to the people of Gaza, wherever they are. It’s a matter of life or death. This must be done in a sustainable, unhindered and predictable manner, he added.
The UN appreciates that Around 3,000 tons of humanitarian aid are waiting to arrive in the Gaza Strip from Egypt. Griffiths called for these supplies to immediately pass through the Rafah border crossing to reach those in urgent need of food, water, medicine and other essential supplies.
Even before the violence broke out A hundred trucks a day delivered relief supplies across the Gaza Strip and “we need to get back to that level,” Griffiths said.
So far, the number of displaced people in Gaza is around one million, including around 352,000 people who are seeking refuge in increasingly dire conditions in Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA) schools in the center and south of the Gaza Strip.