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Palestine's UN envoy breaks down as he pleads with Security Council over Gaza
Palestine's UN envoy breaks down as he pleads with Security Council over Gaza

The National

time2 days ago

  • General
  • The National

Palestine's UN envoy breaks down as he pleads with Security Council over Gaza

The Palestinian ambassador to the UN broke down in tears on Wednesday as he pleaded with the Security Council to address the deepening crisis in Gaza. 'I have grandchildren. I know what they mean to their families, and to see the situation of the Palestinians without us having hearts to do something is beyond the ability of any normal human being to tolerate,' Riyad Mansour said, his voice shaking, at one point pounding the table during his emotional speech. He condemned attacks on civilians, whether Palestinian or Israeli, but denounced what he called 'double standards' in global responses. 'Nothing can justify attacking civilians … we are human beings. We are proud Palestinians. We should be treated exactly like everybody else,' he said. Mr Mansour accused the international community of ignoring the plight of Palestinians. 'You cannot just see what you want in the mirror and ignore the huge elephant in the room, the Palestinian people,' he said. 'I can assure you that we are rooted in Palestine more than the olive trees … we will not wither away. We are staying in our homeland, and we will attain our inalienable rights, hopefully sooner than later." Israel's UN envoy, Danny Danon, reminded Mr Mansour of the words of Israel's former prime minister, Golda Meir, who held office five decades ago: 'Peace will come when you will love your children more than you hate us.' Mr Danon accused UN agencies of blocking aid deliveries to Gaza, claiming hundreds of lorries loaded with supplies were stuck at border crossings due to the UN's failure to distribute them. 'As we speak, there are more than 400 lorries already on the other side of the fence, waiting to be distributed, but the UN has failed to pick them up,' he told reporters before the Security Council meeting on Gaza. 'We opened the crossings. We provided safe routes for those lorries. But the UN did not show up." About 600 lorries entered the enclave daily during a ceasefire this year, according to the UN. Mr Danon also rejected allegations by UN and Gaza health officials that Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians trying to gain access to aid through a new US-backed distribution system on Tuesday. At least one Palestinian was killed and 48 others were wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. 'There were a few riots. It took the American teams some time to take control of the situation, but I can say it out loud: We didn't shoot anyone over there,' Mr Danon said. He said Israel would continue allowing UN-facilitated aid into Gaza while the new US-backed mechanism expands across the enclave. A day after the incident, the World Food Programme said 'hordes of hungry people' broke into one of the agency's warehouses in central Gaza on Wednesday, with initial reports indicating that two people had died and several were injured. 'Gaza needs an immediate scale-up of food assistance. This is the only way to reassure people that they will not starve,' the WFP said in a statement. With severe shortages of food, water and medicine, Palestinians in Gaza have grown increasingly desperate. There have been long queues forming at aid centres and reports of violent clashes over limited supplies. The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, condemned Israel's military operations in the enclave. 'The disproportionate use of force and the deaths of civilians cannot be tolerated. The continued targeting of civilian infrastructure is unacceptable,' she said in a statement. Ms Kallas repeated that humanitarian aid 'must never be politicised or militarised', and recalled the role of the UN in distributing humanitarian assistance. 'The EU reiterates its urgent call for the immediate, unimpeded and sustained resumption of aid at scale, according to the needs of the civilian population in Gaza.'

Jordan, Finland agree on need for two-state solution for regional stability
Jordan, Finland agree on need for two-state solution for regional stability

Arab News

time3 days ago

  • Business
  • Arab News

Jordan, Finland agree on need for two-state solution for regional stability

AMMAN: Jordan's King Abdullah II on Tuesday held talks with Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen at Al-Husseiniya Palace in Amman, where discussions focused on addressing regional developments, particularly the crisis in Gaza. The meeting, which was attended by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, also covered opportunities to bolster cooperation across various sectors between the two countries, the Jordan News Agency reported. The king stressed the importance of creating a political horizon to achieve peace on the basis of the two-state solution and commended Finland's support for efforts aimed at reinforcing regional stability. Separately, Minister of Foreign and Expatriates Affairs Ayman Safadi held extensive talks with Valtonen, during which the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening ties and advancing collaboration within the broader framework of Jordan's strategic partnership with the EU. With reference to the war in Gaza, the ministers emphasized the importance of multilateral action and upholding international law, including international humanitarian law. The talks also covered the urgent need for a permanent ceasefire and the immediate, sufficient delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave. The ministers reviewed efforts to ensure that the upcoming international conference in New York, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, yields tangible results in support of a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution. Safadi reiterated the importance of broader international recognition of a Palestinian state as a key step in affirming the international community's commitment to the two-state solution. On Syria, their discussions touched on the need for supporting reconstruction efforts grounded in preserving Syrian unity, security and stability, as well as eliminating terrorism and safeguarding the rights of all Syrians. Safadi highlighted the need for effective international engagement to that end.

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