UN Calls For Decisive Steps To End Conflict As Gaza, West Bank Crises Deepen

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) NEW YORK, Aug 27 (KUNA) - The United Nations on Wednesday called for taking firm actions to end the Israeli occupation's war on Gaza and its violations in the West Bank as the situation, particularly in the Gaza Strip, is sinking deeper into a disaster.
"Today the world looks on in horror as the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory continues to deteriorate to levels not seen in recent history," said Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, speaking to the UN Security Council via videoconference from the occupied Jerusalem.
Alakbarov warned that Gaza is "sinking deeper into disaster, marked by rapidly mounting civilian casualties, mass displacement, and, now, famine", with no end in sight to the conflict.
He said that "unthinkably, Gaza's population is now facing yet another deadly escalation" following Israel's announcement of its decision to take over Gaza City, which is ongoing.
"For a population already struggling to survive, Palestinians in Gaza are seeing their worst fears become reality in front of their eyes," he said.
"Expanded military operations in Gaza City will have catastrophic consequences, including displacing hundreds of thousands."
Alakbarov briefed the Council alongside Joyce Msuya, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.
He reported that Israeli military strikes have intensified throughout the Strip, hitting tents housing displaced people, schools, hospitals, and residential buildings.
Since 23 July, at least 2,553 Palestinians have been killed, according to the health authorities. Of this number, some 271 were reportedly killed attempting to collect aid, including in the vicinity of militarized distribution sites.
Additionally, over 240 journalists have been killed since the war began on 7 October 2023.
Although the UN and partners are working tirelessly to assist the people in Gaza, "the security risks are extremely high, and current mitigation measures are woefully insufficient," he said.
"On my recent visit to Gaza, I was stunned at the scale of the destruction and suffering. I met humanitarian workers risking their lives to deliver aid, while themselves living in intolerable conditions," he added.
Meanwhile, the situation in the occupied West Bank, including the occupied East Jerusalem, "continues to spiral dangerously downward" and "the territory envisioned for a future Palestinian State is shrinking, while a one-State reality of unlawful occupation and perpetual violence is rapidly advancing."
Israeli security forces have continued operations in northern cities and refugee camps, displacing more than 32,000 people. Furthermore, security forces killed nine Palestinians, four of them children, during the three-month reporting period.
Since the start of the war in Gaza, settler attacks have escalated in frequency and become more violent and deadly. At the same time, Israel is "fast-tracking settlement expansion, including in the most highly strategic areas."
Alakbarov recalled that the Israeli High Planning Committee recently approved a plan for the construction of more than 3,400 housing units in the E1 area.
"If implemented, the move would effectively sever the connection between the northern and southern West Bank. As such, it would further undermine the possibility of a viable and contiguous Palestinian state," he warned.
Israeli authorities also continued to demolish Palestinian-owned structures, he added, and 175 Palestinians, including 70 children, have been displaced.
"What is needed now is bold action to resolve the conflict, end the occupation and re-establish a political horizon," he stressed.
In this regard, he welcomed the High-Level Conference on the Implementation of the Two-State Solution co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, held at UN Headquarters in June.
He urged the international community to work collectively to advance practical steps, including through engagements during the high-level week of the UN General Assembly in September.
Msuya's briefing centered around the recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis confirming that famine is occurring in Gaza governorate - phase 5 conditions - and is expected to spread in the coming weeks.
She drew attention to some of the numbers, saying over half a million people currently face starvation, destitution and death, which could exceed 640,000 by the end of September.
Approximately one million Gazans are in emergency phase 4 and over 390,000 face phase 3 crisis conditions, she continued.
At least 132,000 children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition between now and the middle of next year, while the number of those who risk dying has tripled to over 43,000.
Among pregnant and breastfeeding women, the number is predicted to rise from 17,000 to 55,000.
"Let us be clear: This famine is not a product of drought or some form of natural disaster," she said. "It is a created catastrophe - the result of a conflict that has caused massive civilian death, injury, destruction and forced displacement."
Msuya urged the Council to ensure an immediate and sustained cessation of hostilities to save lives and stop famine from spreading.
Furthermore, safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access through all entry points must occur, and aid - including food, medicine, water, fuel and shelter - has to be delivered to all people in need.
Her final request was for the restoration of commercial flows of essential goods at scale, market systems, essential services and local food production.
"Ending this human-made crisis demands that we act as if it were our mother, our father, our child, our family trying to survive in Gaza today," she said. (end)
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