The UN Security Council held a session on Tuesday on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian issue.

The session witnessed open discussions on the recent developments in the Palestinian territories and the ongoing challenges resulting from the military escalation, the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and the impact of increasing colonial policies on the lives of Palestinians in the West Bank, including Jerusalem.

Wennesland: We are witnessing a horrific humanitarian nightmare in Gaza

At the session, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wenneslund, said that we have entered the second year of a horrific conflict, and the region is on the brink of another dangerous escalation. Violence in the Palestinian territories and the region as a whole continues. Yesterday, Israeli forces in Gaza struck a building in Beit Lahia, killing at least 90 Palestinians, including at least 25 children. This strike is another episode in the series of bloody violence in Gaza.

He added that we are witnessing a horrific humanitarian nightmare, which is developing at a speed that prevents us from reaching a sustainable settlement, noting that during his presence in Gaza, he saw beyond imagination the extent of the great destruction caused by the war on the population, from the destruction of residential buildings, roads, hospitals and schools, and the thousands who live in camps with no place to go to as winter approaches.

He pointed out that he spoke to colleagues in the United Nations and humanitarian partners about the growing challenges, and they described the dire humanitarian situation in northern Gaza, which has not received any humanitarian assistance since the beginning of the war. He continued: I listened to Palestinian NGOs, and their demands were clear: the war must end immediately, civilians must be protected and assisted, and a political solution must be found to end this conflict.

“We are in the most dangerous phase in the Middle East in decades, and each of us must make efforts to de-escalate the region and create a path towards peace, stability and an immediate ceasefire,” he said, calling on all parties to engage constructively in urgent diplomatic efforts to de-escalate and avoid a vicious cycle of death and destruction. “UNRWA’s work must not be allowed to stop and be undermined.”

Swiss Representative: Israeli Knesset Decision Against UNRWA Violates International Law

In turn, the Swiss representative called for respect for international law, allowing humanitarian aid to reach and stopping the violation of international law, which is unacceptable, calling on all parties to respect the decisions of this Council, implement our decisions and rise to the occasion.

He considered the decision against UNRWA by the Israeli Knesset to be in violation of international law and to threaten humanitarian aid in the face of indescribable suffering, stressing that his country will continue to help civilians, calling for reaching a real solution and a ceasefire, putting an end to the spread of violence and destruction, and working together to find a political solution.

US Representative: We Reject Starving Citizens in Gaza, Israel Must Allow Aid to Enter

In turn, the Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the Security Council said that her country rejects the starvation of the population in Gaza, and that Israel must allow the entry of aid and protect workers in this framework.

She also expressed concern over the Knesset's decision to stop UNRWA's work, calling on the Israeli government to release the Palestinian Authority's revenues and work towards a political settlement to find a future for both parties.