Senior U.N. officials on Gaza: ‘These acts of violence must cease’

United Nations officials expressed urgent calls on Monday for an immediate cessation of the severe human suffering and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, nearly a year into the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

In a statement endorsed by the leaders of various U.N. agencies, including UNICEF and the World Food Programme, as well as other humanitarian organizations, they declared, “These atrocities must come to an end,” coinciding with the gathering of global leaders in New York for the annual U.N. General Assembly.

They emphasized the necessity for humanitarian workers to have safe and unrestricted access to those in need, stating, “We cannot fulfill our responsibilities amidst such overwhelming need and persistent violence.”

The U.N. has consistently raised concerns regarding the challenges faced in delivering aid to Gaza during the ongoing conflict and the difficulties in distribution amid what they describe as “total lawlessness” in the besieged region. Tragically, nearly 300 humanitarian aid workers have lost their lives, with over two-thirds being U.N. personnel.

The United Nations officials reported that the threat of famine continues, with 2.1 million residents urgently requiring food and livelihood support due to ongoing restrictions on humanitarian access. They noted that the healthcare system has been severely impacted, with over 500 documented attacks on medical facilities in Gaza.

The conflict in the Palestinian territory escalated on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants infiltrated Israeli communities, resulting in approximately 1,200 fatalities and around 250 individuals taken hostage to Gaza, as per Israeli reports.

In response, the Israeli military has conducted extensive operations in the Palestinian enclave, displacing nearly all of its 2.3 million inhabitants and leading to widespread hunger and disease, with Palestinian health authorities reporting over 41,000 deaths, without differentiating between combatants and civilians.

The Israeli military asserts that it implements measures to minimize civilian casualties, claiming that at least one-third of the reported Palestinian deaths are militants. They accuse Hamas of employing Palestinian civilians as human shields, a claim that Hamas refutes.