The UN Security Council dealt with the deadly incident in Gaza behind closed doors – accompanied by perplexity. It is uncertain whether a requested investigation can provide clarity.
Embarrassment and perplexity prevail in the corridors of the Security Council. The paralysis of what is actually the most powerful UN body in the face of the dramatic humanitarian crisis and the most recent incident is clearly hurting many diplomats rushing in.
The Security Council must now show backbone and condemn the deadly incident, demanded the Palestinian UN ambassador before the closed meeting. Riad Mansour accuses Israel of deliberately killing more than a hundred Palestinians when emergency aid arrived.
As on many other days, thousands of people gathered at the place in the north of the region to receive flour, sugar and other basic goods: “And then the Israeli army suddenly started shooting at them. According to the information we have, dozens from them bullets in the head.”
It’s not like shooting into the sky to hold people back when confusion and chaos reign. “It was deliberately targeted and killed,” accuses Mansur Israel.
No reliable information
He speaks of 112 dead and 750 injured. The spokesman for UN Secretary-General Guterres had previously emphasized: The information about the incident could not yet be independently verified. Israeli media, citing army sources, reported that part of the crowd approached Israeli soldiers for an unspecified reason and endangered them.
The military initially fired warning shots into the air and fired at the legs of those who approached the soldiers anyway. This information could not be independently verified either.
Conflict parties as a source
In the current situation, information on the course of the war, shelling and casualties provided by the Palestinian and Israeli conflict parties cannot be directly verified by an independent body.
Guterres condemns the incident
Given the circumstances, it is also unclear whether an investigation can provide the clarity that the United Nations immediately demanded. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said through his spokesman that he condemned the incident. More than 100 people were killed while seeking life-saving help, Stephane Dujarric quoted the UN chief as saying.
Guterres reiterated his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages held in Gaza: “He calls for urgent steps to ensure that essential humanitarian aid flows into and through the Gaza Strip for all those who are so desperate to receive it need.”
Security Council so far without a resolution
France’s UN Ambassador Nicolas de Rivière also emphasized this at the door of the Security Council: “The humanitarian situation for civilians in Gaza is deteriorating every day. We are facing an unprecedented disaster.”
According to the UN emergency agency OCHA, well over half a million people – a quarter of the region’s population – are close to famine.
Because deliveries over land are no longer possible, the UN is not ruling out supplying the more than two million people by air. But the latest incident particularly reinforces calls for a humanitarian ceasefire and the protection of civilians.
The Security Council has been unable to pass a resolution on this for months. Less than two weeks ago, the latest attempt failed once again due to the US veto.
Since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out, Washington has repeatedly used this veto to protect Israel. This is causing great dissatisfaction among more and more council members. On Monday, the USA is due to answer for its latest veto before the General Assembly.
Antje Passenheim, ARD New York, tagesschau, March 1st, 2024 6:17 a.m