In an extraordinary move, the heads of all major United Nations agencies joined forces on Sunday to issue a rare, joint statement condemning the growing civilian death toll in Gaza and urgently calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The UN chiefs expressed their deep concern about the spiraling loss of life and human suffering witnessed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory since the October 7 Hamas cross-border attack from Gaza into Israel, which resulted in around 1,400 fatalities, mainly civilians, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel’s response to this attack has been relentless, marked by air and artillery strikes that have claimed the lives of over 9,770 people, the majority of whom were civilians, as reported by the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.
The UN statement highlighted the dire situation in Gaza, where an entire population remains under siege and relentless attack. The people are denied access to the essentials needed for survival and have faced bombings in their homes, shelters, hospitals, and places of worship. The UN agencies emphasized that such conditions are intolerable.
In their joint appeal, the UN leaders called upon Hamas to release the more than 240 hostages taken during their attack and urged both sides to uphold their obligations under international law as the conflict continues.
The statement stressed the urgent need for increased humanitarian aid, including food, water, medicine, and fuel, to be allowed into Gaza to support the besieged population. Israel’s stated objective of dismantling Hamas underscores the critical importance of addressing the dire humanitarian situation in the region.
“We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. It’s been 30 days. Enough is enough. This must stop now,” the statement asserted, echoing the urgency of the situation and the imperative need to protect innocent lives in this long-standing conflict.
Sources By Agencies
