Latest news with #MiddleEastPeaceProcess
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Sheikha Alya, UN humanitarian coordinator discuss deteriorating situation in Gaza
NEW YORK: Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations HE Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, has met with Sigrid Kaag, who serves as Under-Secretary-General, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process ad interim, UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza. The meeting took place at the Permanent Mission's headquarters in New York. The meeting discussed the latest developments in the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, and emphasised the need to ensure the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of the brotherly Palestinian people.
Days of Palestine
2 days ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
GMO: At Least 10 Killed by Israeli Forces at U.S.-Backed Aid Distribution Point
DayofPal– At least 10 Palestinians have been killed and more than 60 injured over the past 48 hours after Israeli forces opened fire on civilians gathering for humanitarian aid in southern Gaza, according to the enclave's Government Media Office. The attacks occurred near a distribution point operated by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a United States-backed organization whose involvement in aid delivery has drawn harsh criticism from humanitarian agencies and United Nations officials. In a statement issued Wednesday, the Gaza Government Media Office accused Israeli forces of 'directly targeting hungry Palestinian civilians' who had gathered to receive food and supplies at the GHF's site in Rafah. While the exact timeline and number of separate shooting incidents remain unclear, casualties were reported on both days. 'These locations were transformed into death traps under the occupation's gunfire,' the statement read, calling the shootings a 'heinous crime.' The disturbing scenes come just a day after footage circulated widely online showing thousands of desperate Palestinians corralled into cage-like lines as they clamored for aid at the GHF distribution centre. The GHF, which on Wednesday opened its second of four planned aid centres across Gaza, has faced growing scrutiny over its role in the besieged enclave. The aid delivery model has been roundly condemned by UN officials and members of the humanitarian community, who argue that effective and secure aid distribution could resume if Israel lifted restrictions and allowed seasoned humanitarian agencies to manage the effort. Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), labelled the GHF operation a 'distraction from atrocities' and called for Israel to enable the UN's established aid system to resume its 'life-saving work.' Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting in New York, diplomats from Algeria, France, and the United Kingdom echoed that plea, urging Israel to lift restrictions on aid access and allow unimpeded humanitarian deliveries into Gaza. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, accused Israel of weaponizing aid, stating that it was being used as 'a tool of war.' Al Jazeera's UN correspondent Kristen Saloomey reported that Sigrid Kaag, the UN's Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, and Feroze Sidhwa, a surgeon who recently returned from a humanitarian mission in Gaza, also briefed the council. Both called urgently for a ceasefire and the restoration of full humanitarian operations. Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, pushed back on the criticism, accusing the UN of obstructing aid efforts and demanding a retraction from UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher for previously accusing Israel of committing genocide. The Gaza Strip, home to over two million Palestinians, remains under severe humanitarian strain amid ongoing attacks, with food, water, and medical aid in critically short supply. The UN and aid organizations have repeatedly warned that without immediate and unrestricted access, famine and mass civilian casualties are imminent. Shortlink for this post:
Saba Yemen
2 days ago
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
UN Official: Gaza aid delivery mechanism violates basic principles, we will not participate
New York - Saba: Sigrid Kaag, the Temporary Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, affirmed that she "will not participate in any mechanism for delivering humanitarian aid if it violates the fundamental principles of humanitarian action, foremost neutrality and independence." She stressed that "the situation in Gaza requires urgent international action that goes beyond formal statements and appeals." Kaag called for "an immediate halt to Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip." During a UN Security Council session on Wednesday, Kaag warned that "civilians in Gaza are facing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, with widespread destruction of infrastructure and continuous targeting of civilian life." She stated, "The people of Gaza have lost hope in life, and farewells in the Strip are now spoken on the brink of death, not tomorrow." She added, "Palestinians there deserve more than mere survival—they deserve a future filled with dignity and hope." Kaag warned that humanitarian aid is insufficient to meet the minimum needs of over two million people facing the specter of famine, describing the situation as "more like a lifeboat after the sinking of an entire ship." In the same context, Kaag expressed deep concern over escalating tensions in the occupied West Bank, pointing to accelerated settlement expansion, land seizures, and increasing settler violence, leading to a "de facto annexation." She emphasized, "The number of victims is no longer just statistics. These were people with names, dreams, and aspirations, whose lives were shattered under bombardment and deprivation." Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Palestinians in Gaza 'deserve more than survival,' says UN envoy
UNITED NATIONS: Palestinians living in Gaza 'deserve more than survival,' the United Nations envoy for the Middle East told the Security Council on Wednesday, as Israel's war there enters its 600th day. Israel stepped up its military offensive in Gaza, ignited by an attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, 2023, earlier this month, while mediators push for a ceasefire that remains elusive. The issue of aid has come sharply into focus amid a hunger crisis after Israel imposed a full blockade on Gaza for over two months, before allowing supplies in at a trickle last week. 'Since the resumption of hostilities in Gaza, the already horrific existence of civilians has only sunk further into the abyss. This is manmade,' Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, told the Council. 'Death is their companion,' she continued. 'It's not life, it's not hope. The people of Gaza deserve more than survival. They deserve a future.' The aid that is now coming in 'is comparable to a lifeboat after the ship has sunk,' she said. Kaag warned that there could be no 'sustainable peace' in the Middle East without a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, adding that the West Bank also is on a 'dangerous trajectory.' And she called for collective action to revive a two-state solution, saying that a high-level international conference in June presents a 'critical opportunity.' 'It must launch a concrete path towards ending the occupation and realizing the two-state solution,' she said. When speaking of people in Gaza, 'the words empathy, solidarity and support have lost their meaning,' Kaag said. 'We should not become accustomed to the number of people killed or injured. These are daughters, mothers, and young children whose lives have been shattered. All have a name, all had a future, all had dreams and aspirations.' 'Why didn't I die? ' The UN Security Council also heard the harrowing testimony of an American surgeon on Wednesday, a few weeks after his return from Gaza. 'I am here because I have witnessed what is happening in Gaza with my own eyes, especially to children, and I cannot pretend not to have seen it. You too, cannot claim ignorance,' said Dr Feroze Sidhwa. The medical system in Gaza has not failed, he said. 'It has been systematically dismantled through a sustained military campaign that has willfully violated international humanitarian law.' Children are 'supposed to be protected,' he said, but 'in Gaza, those protections are simply gone.' 'Most of my patients were pre-teen children, their bodies shattered by explosions and torn by flying metal. Many died. Those who lived often awoke to find their entire families gone,' he said. 'According to the War Child Alliance, nearly half of Gaza's children are suicidal,' he said. 'They ask, why didn't I die with my sister, my mother, my father? Not out of extremism, but out of unbearable grief. I wonder if any member of this Council has ever met a five-year-old child who no longer wants to live.' The Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, blamed Hamas for the situation in Gaza. 'There is suffering in Gaza, but the blame is on the shoulders of Hamas ... so they will continue to be suffering until Hamas will understand that they will not stay in Gaza,' he told reporters.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
UN: Gaza Civilians Deserve More Than Survival, 600 Days On
UNITED NATIONS: Palestinians living in Gaza 'deserve more than survival,' the United Nations envoy for the Middle East told the Security Council on Wednesday, as Israel's war there enters its 600th day. Israel stepped up its military offensive in Gaza, ignited by an attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, 2023, earlier this month, while mediators push for a ceasefire that remains elusive. The issue of aid has come sharply into focus amid a hunger crisis after Israel imposed a full blockade on Gaza for over two months, before allowing supplies in at a trickle last week. 'Since the resumption of hostilities in Gaza, the already horrific existence of civilians has only sunk further into the abyss. This is manmade,' Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, told the Council. 'Death is their companion,' she continued. 'It's not life, it's not hope. The people of Gaza deserve more than survival. They deserve a future.' The aid that is now coming in 'is comparable to a lifeboat after the ship has sunk,' she said. Kaag warned that there could be no 'sustainable peace' in the Middle East without a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, adding that the West Bank also is on a 'dangerous trajectory.' And she called for collective action to revive a two-state solution, saying that a high-level international conference in June presents a 'critical opportunity.' 'It must launch a concrete path towards ending the occupation and realizing the two-state solution,' she said. When speaking of people in Gaza, 'the words empathy, solidarity and support have lost their meaning,' Kaag said. 'We should not become accustomed to the number of people killed or injured. These are daughters, mothers, and young children whose lives have been shattered. All have a name, all had a future, all had dreams and aspirations.' 'Why didn't I die?' The UN Security Council also heard the harrowing testimony of an American surgeon on Wednesday, a few weeks after his return from Gaza. 'I am here because I have witnessed what is happening in Gaza with my own eyes, especially to children, and I cannot pretend not to have seen it. You too, cannot claim ignorance,' said Dr Feroze Sidhwa. The medical system in Gaza has not failed, he said. 'It has been systematically dismantled through a sustained military campaign that has willfully violated international humanitarian law.' Children are 'supposed to be protected,' he said, but 'in Gaza, those protections are simply gone.' 'Most of my patients were pre-teen children, their bodies shattered by explosions and torn by flying metal. Many died. Those who lived often awoke to find their entire families gone,' he said. 'According to the War Child Alliance, nearly half of Gaza's children are suicidal,' he said. 'They ask, why didn't I die with my sister, my mother, my father? Not out of extremism, but out of unbearable grief. I wonder if any member of this Council has ever met a five-year-old child who no longer wants to live.' The Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, blamed Hamas for the situation in Gaza. 'There is suffering in Gaza, but the blame is on the shoulders of Hamas ... so they will continue to be suffering until Hamas will understand that they will not stay in Gaza,' he told reporters.
