NEW YORK, Thursday, October 26, 2023 (WAFA) – The UN General Assembly convened an emergency special session today at its headquarters in New York to address the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza, which has so far claimed nearly 7,000 civilian lives, the majority of them civilians.
UNGA President calls for immediate, urgent ceasefire in Gaza
The President of the UN General Assembly, Dennis Francis, emphasized the critical need for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, as well as the establishment of safe passages to facilitate the swift delivery of humanitarian aid.
Francis stated, "We gather amidst the gravest escalation of violence and hostility in the Middle East in decades. Perhaps the most dramatic and difficult to countenance was the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital attack that killed several hundred people in a single incident – it is an unthinkable crime that must offend our human sensibilities."
He condemned the indiscriminate targeting of civilians and innocent people in Gaza and expressed concern over the relentless Israeli bombardment and the extensive destruction it has inflicted on vital infrastructure.
The President of the UN General Assembly underscored that the right to self-defense does not permit retaliatory actions that are indiscriminate and disproportionate, leading to the death, injury, and displacement of thousands of women, children, the elderly, and vulnerable individuals. He also highlighted the imminent depletion of essential medical supplies.
Francis stressed that the rules of war mandate the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, regardless of the cost. He further lamented the loss of 35 United Nations staff members who are essential in delivering humanitarian support and basic services to millions of Palestinians in these dire circumstances.
The UNGA President reaffirmed the necessity of compliance with international humanitarian law, the creation of favorable conditions for the opening of humanitarian corridors, ensuring the urgent delivery of life-saving aid to those in need, and the transportation of essential supplies. He also stressed the importance of providing safe passage for medical and humanitarian personnel in both the medical and humanitarian sectors.
Palestine calls for immediate UN action to stop unfolding Israeli genocide
UN Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine, Riyadh Mansour, urged today the UN General Assembly act against the indiscriminate Israeli killing of Palestinians in Gaza and to allow humanitarian aid into the war-torn territory.
“We are meeting here while Palestinians in Gaza are under the bombs,” the Palestinian Ambassador to the UN said. Citing circumstances on the ground, Mansour stressed that humanitarian aid was badly needed and that hospitals were operating without anaesthetics.
“You are speaking while families are being killed, hospitals are coming to a halt, neighbourhoods are being destroyed, and people are fleeing from one place to another with no safe place to go.”
“There is no time to mourn,” Mansour stressed, pointing to the rising death toll, with more than 7000 Palestinians killed by Israel’s relentless bombardment on Gaza. “If you do not stop it for all those who have been killed, stop it for all those who can be saved,” Mansour urged.
He stressed that the Palestinians have survived decades of occupation, 16 years of a blockade, and five wars in Gaza, adding that the answer to the killing of Israelis and Palestinians is not more killing.
"The only path forward is justice for the Palestinian people,” he said, asking the UN membership to uphold UN principles.
“Vote to stop the killing, to stop this madness,” he said. “Choose justice, not vengeance. Choose peace, not more wars. Vote to end almost three weeks of the worst double standards we have seen in decades. Do not miss this chance. Lives are hanging in the balance. Please, save lives, save lives, save lives.”
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