NEW YORK (Palestine Foundation Information Center) Several countries participating in the UN Security Council on Tuesday evening called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to a devastating Israeli war for about 4 months.
During a session of the Security Council, Norway, Belgium, Russia, and China demanded a halt to the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and adopting necessary measures to protect its citizens.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide stated that the residents of Gaza face problems such as hunger, insufficient healthcare services, a medication crisis, and access to clean water. He confirmed that the humanitarian crisis is extremely severe and likened the situation on the ground to hell.
He also expressed solidarity with the residents of the West Bank who face escalating violence from Israeli settlers and increasing risk of death.
In the same context, Belgian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Philippe Kridelka, speaking on behalf of the Benelux Union consisting of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, expressed great concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and its impact on civilians, especially children.
Kridelka called for respecting international humanitarian law and the non-targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure including schools and hospitals.
He also called for the opening of all crossings and their operation at maximum capacity, ensuring the passage of all humanitarian relief volunteers without any obstacles. Additionally, he urged for the facilitation of border procedures and the effective and sufficient delivery of aid by relief organizations to Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry representative said that the highest priority must be given to ending the war in Gaza as soon as possible and preventing the conflict from spiraling out of control in the region.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized the importance of the calls on the Security Council to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, pointing out that the Security Council has been unable to take necessary decisions due to the United States’ policy regarding the Middle East.
He charged that the United States obstructs all attempts and initiatives to stop the bloodshed in the occupied (Palestinian) territories. It either uses its veto power against ceasefire resolutions or does not call for a cessation of the escalation of the war in Gaza, which allows for the continuation of collective punishment against Palestinians, he added.
Lavrov said that nearly 30,000 civilians, including women and children, have been killed in Gaza, and northern Gaza has been almost completely destroyed and rendered uninhabitable. 80% of Gaza’s population has become displaced, emphasizing the urgent need to take necessary measures to ensure a ceasefire in Palestine and alleviate the suffering of its people.
He described the idea of displacing Palestinians as disgusting and alarming, emphasizing their rejection of such scenarios and the need to refrain from implementing them.
Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation forces have been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, resulting in 25,490 martyrs and 63,354 injured, mostly children and women, and causing immense destruction and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.
