NEW YORK, July 23, 2025 (WAFA) - A senior UN official on Wednesday urged the Security Council to push for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, warning that the war has become “a nightmare of historic proportions.”
Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific, made the remarks during the UN Security Council’s quarterly open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the question of Palestine.
The Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East told ministers and ambassadors that ongoing talks must lead to a permanent end to hostilities, the release of all hostages, unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid, and for recovery and reconstruction to begin.
He noted that at least 1,891 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since 30 June, according to figures from Gazan health authorities, including 294 people reportedly killed while attempting to collect aid near militarized distribution points.
Evacuation orders continue to force repeated displacement, while food insecurity and malnutrition are worsening despite a limited uptick in the entry of humanitarian supplies, he added.
He painted a grim picture of conditions on the ground, citing expanded Israeli military operations, particularly in Deir Al-Balah, which have led to further mass displacement. He added that UN premises were also struck, hampering humanitarian operations and exacerbating the already dire situation.
Khiari condemned the Israeli strike on the Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City on July 17, which killed three and injured several others. The strike forced the evacuation of roughly 600 Palestinians, including children and persons with special needs, who had been sheltering there.
Since 9 July, Israel has allowed limited fuel deliveries through the Kerem Shalom/Karim Abu Salem crossing, after 130 days of a full blockade.
However, the amount is “a fraction of what is required to run essential life-saving services in Gaza, where nearly every aspect of life depends on fuel,” Khiari warned.
Turning to the occupied West Bank, Khiari reported high levels of violence, including deadly Israeli military operations and attacks by colonial settlers on Palestinians.
He noted that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is facing a severe fiscal crisis, with $2.7 billion in withheld clearance revenues, crippling its ability to pay salaries and provide basic services.
“Unless urgently addressed, the deterioration of the PA’s fiscal and institutional situation could have catastrophic consequences, undermining the significant progress made over many years to build up Palestinian institutions,” he warned, urging immediate international support.
Khiari concluded by reiterating that only a revived political process towards the two-State solution can deliver a sustainable solution.
“Our goal is clear: realizing the vision of two States – Israel and a viable and sovereign Palestinian State of which Gaza is an integral part – living side by side in peace and security within secure and recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States,” he said.
T.R.
