Security Council: Ambassadors meet in emergency session, amid starvation in Gaza

New York [US], August 11: The UN Security Council met Sunday morning in New York following the Israeli cabinet's decision to again expand its military operation inside the Gaza Strip and take full control of the key population centre of Gaza City. UN chief Antonio Guterres described it earlier as a "dangerous escalation" for the two million civilians trapped in the enclave as well as the remaining Israeli hostages still held captive.
Miroslav Jenča, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, told the Council that conditions in Gaza were "unbearable" and warned of "catastrophic consequences" if the operation proceeds. He reiterated the UN's demand for a permanent ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and unrestricted humanitarian access.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that hunger in Gaza has reached "starvation, pure and simple," with aid deliveries severely hampered by insecurity and access restrictions.
Council members were divided. France, the UK, and other nations warned the plan could breach international humanitarian law and worsen civilian suffering. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a halt to military exports to Israel that could be used in Gaza, marking a notable shift in Germany's traditionally strong support for Israel.
The Palestinian Authority's representative, Riyad Mansour, condemned Israel's actions as a violation of international law and the will of the international community. Middle Eastern nations, including Qatar and the UAE, also criticized the plan, while Iran accused Israel of pursuing ethnic cleansing.The session concluded without a resolution, reflecting persistent divisions within the Council.
The emergency meeting coincided with an announcement by medical sources in Gaza that hospitals in the Strip had received, during the past 24 hours, 61 bodies, including two recovered from under the rubble, in addition to 363 wounded, while the bodies of a number of victims remain trapped beneath the debris due to the inability of ambulance crews to reach them.
Five new deaths caused by famine and malnutrition were also recorded, including two children, bringing the total number of hunger-related deaths to 217, among them 100 children.
UNRWA had warned that rates of malnutrition among children under the age of five had doubled between March and June, while the World Health Organization confirmed that one in five children in Gaza suffers from acute malnutrition due to the blockade and delays in aid delivery.
Source: Emirates News Agency