Briefing the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday on the catastrophic reality in Gaza, the top UN relief official urged those present to consider what they will tell future generations when asked what they did to stop the "21st century atrocity" taking place daily before the eyes of the world. The statement comes as every one of Gaza's 2 million surviving Palestinians faces famine, with one in five on the brink of starvation.
“Israel is deliberately and unashamedly imposing inhumane conditions on civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” said Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
“For more than 10 weeks, nothing has entered Gaza – no food, medicine, water or tents.”
He added that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have once again been forcibly displaced and crammed into ever-shrinking spaces, as 70 percent of Gaza's territory is either inside Israeli-militarized zones or under Israeli displacement orders.
Fletcher said the UN and its partners are desperate to resume large-scale humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza in accordance with the fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality.
"We have a plan. We have shown we can deliver, with tens of thousands of trucks reaching civilians during the ceasefire. We have life-saving supplies ready, now, at the borders. We can save hundreds of thousands of survivors," the UN relief chief said.
“But Israel denies us access, placing the objective of depopulating Gaza before the lives of civilians. It is bad enough that the blockade continues.”
He asked Council members directly, "How do you react when Israeli Ministers boast of it? Or when attacks on humanitarian workers and violations of the UN’s privileges and immunities continue, along with restrictions on international and non-governmental organizations."
The relief chief recalled that the Security Council has adopted resolutions demanding that all parties to the conflict comply with international humanitarian law (IHL) and the protection of civilians, including humanitarian personnel.
He stressed that Israel also has clear obligations under IHL.
“It must treat civilians humanely, with respect for their inherent human dignity. It must not forcibly transfer, deport or displace the civilian population of an occupied territory. As the occupying power, it must agree to aid and facilitate it,” Fletcher said.
He stressed that for anyone who still pretends to be in doubt, the Israeli-designed aid distribution scheme is not the answer. Among other things, he said, it ties aid to political or military objectives, makes starvation a bargaining chip, and sets an unacceptable precedent for aid delivery around the world.
“It excludes many, including people with disabilities, women, children, the elderly, the wounded. It forces further displacement. It exposes thousands of people to harm,” he said.
“It restricts aid to only one part of Gaza, while leaving other dire needs unmet. […] It is cynical sideshow. A deliberate distraction. A fig leaf for further violence and displacement.”
Flechter called on Israeli authorities: "Stop killing and injuring civilians. Lift this brutal blockade. Let humanitarians save lives."
Pointing to briefings to the Council on the deliberate obstruction of aid and the systematic destruction of Palestinian lives in Gaza, he said that while the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will weigh such testimony when it considers whether genocide is taking place in Gaza, "it will be too late."
“Recognizing the urgency, the ICJ has indicated clear provisional measures that must be implemented now, yet they have not,” he said.
“So, for those killed and those whose voices are silenced: what more evidence do you need now? Will you act – decisively – to prevent genocide and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law?”
Calling this degradation of international law "corrosive and infectious" and stating that "humanity, law and reason must prevail," he urged the Council to demand an end to it, stop arming it and insist on accountability.
“For those who will not survive what we fear is coming — in plain sight — it will be no consolation to know that future generations will hold us in this Chamber to account,” he said. “But they will.”
Further information
Full text: UN Relief Chief calls on Security Council to act decisively to prevent genocide in Gaza, briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation and the protection of aid workers in Gaza by Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, released May 13, 2025
https://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-calls-security-council-act-decisively-prevent-genocide-gaza