DaysofPal – The United Nations high-ranking representative has declared that the temperature-related mortality risk in the Gaza Strip is rising as a result of the extreme lack of humanitarian aid, while at the same time, the European states denounced the never-before-seen escalation of the Israeli settlers’ violence against Palestinians in the West Bank area that is occupied.
Ramesh Akbirov, Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, called for the immediate entry of aid into Gaza and the provision of urgent necessities for the population. Speaking to the UN Security Council via video link from occupied Jerusalem, Akbirov said that “the danger of dying from cold in Gaza is growing amid a lack of humanitarian assistance.”
The warning of the official comes at a time when Israel has not fully complied with its obligations under the ceasefire agreement that has been in effect since 10 October, including the humanitarian protocol that specifies the entry of shelter materials, 300,000 tents, and mobile housing units, commitments that have been reiterated by the Gaza Government Media Office more than once.
The war waged by Israel against Gaza, which started on October 8, 2023, with the support of the United States and lasted for two years, led to the death of more than 70,000 Palestinians and more than 171,000 injuries, mainly to women and children, along with the utter destruction of about 90 percent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure.
West Bank Settlements Undermine Palestinian Statehood
Akbirov also warned that Israel’s continued settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is fueling tensions, restricting Palestinian access to their land, and threatening the viability of a geographically contiguous and sovereign Palestinian state.
He said Israeli operations in the West Bank have led to significant numbers of Palestinian casualties, mass displacement, and widespread destruction, particularly in refugee camps. Akbirov further condemned settler attacks, describing them as increasingly frequent and violent, often carried out in the presence or with the support of Israeli security forces, especially during the olive harvest season.
Sharp Criticism Inside the Security Council
During the same Security Council session on the Middle East and the Palestinian question, Algeria’s UN ambassador Amar Bendjama said that Israel’s war of annihilation against the Palestinian people in Gaza is ongoing.
He called on the guarantors of the Gaza ceasefire to fulfill their responsibilities in addressing Israeli violations, stating that Israeli forces “continue to move and strike as if the ceasefire arrangements bind everyone except the occupying power.”
“It has become painfully clear,” Bendjama added, “that Israel enjoys impunity in this Council.”
Palestine’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, accused Israel of pursuing a policy of displacement and replacement of the Palestinian people. He said settler militias are operating in tandem with the Israeli army, systematically targeting Palestinians with the aim of annexing the West Bank.
Since the start of the war on Gaza, Israeli forces and settlers have killed 1,097 Palestinians in the West Bank, injured nearly 11,000 others, and arrested more than 21,000, according to official figures.
France’s ambassador to the UN, Jérôme Bonnafont, said Israel’s approval of 19 new settlement outposts and the E1 settlement project between Jerusalem and the Ma’ale Adumim settlement represents a flagrant violation of international law and a severe blow to the two-state solution.
Bonnafont reiterated France’s condemnation of settlement expansion and its firm opposition to any form of annexation in the West Bank.
Ahead of the Security Council session, European members issued a joint statement condemning the unprecedented escalation in settler violence against Palestinians. The statement reaffirmed Europe’s commitment to the two-state solution, stressed the importance of unifying Gaza and the West Bank, and called for enabling UNRWA to continue its vital work, welcoming the renewal of its mandate.
In contrast, US Deputy Ambassador Jennifer Locicero said Washington would not allow the annexation of the West Bank and that President Donald Trump expects an end to violence there. She added that humanitarian aid must reach Gaza and that the remains of the last Israeli captive must be returned, calling on the Security Council to ensure that Hamas adheres to its commitments under President Trump’s proposed plan.
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