Gaza situation at 'dangerous low', UN chief warns
The Palestinian United Nations envoy appealed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday to do more to stop a "crime against humanity" by Israel, which has warned nearly half of the population of the Gaza Strip to relocate as it plans an assault. "He has to do more. Whatever was done is not sufficient. We need all of us to do more to stop this crime against humanity," Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour told reporters before a meeting of Arab Group ambassadors at the United Nations. Countries urged Israel on Friday to hold off attacking northern Gaza, where more than a million civilians largely defied Israel's order to evacuate before it goes after Hamas militants who slaughtered Israeli civilians last weekend. Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan said on Friday that Israel's warning to residents in northern Gaza was "to temporarily move south ... to mitigate civilian harm." He was speaking at an event Israel hosted at the UN with families of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas and taken to Gaza in the attack. Guterres briefed the 15-member UN Security Council behind closed doors on Friday. "The situation in Gaza has reached a dangerous new low," he told reporters on his way to the briefing, adding that he was in constant contact with the leaders across the region to try and "prevent further dangerous escalation in the West Bank or elsewhere in the region, especially in southern Lebanon." Guterres reminded the parties: "Even wars have rules ... Civilians must be protected and also never used as shields." During the meeting, Russia proposed a draft resolution for the Security Council that calls for a humanitarian ceasefire and condemns violence against civilians and all acts of terrorism, according to a draft text seen by Reuters. "Russia cannot accept the complete inaction and lack of any reaction on the part of the UNSC," Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said after the meeting, adding that Russia was also ready to mediate between Israel and the Palestinians. It was not immediately clear when or if Russia would put the draft resolution to a vote. The United States has traditionally shielded its ally Israel from any Security Council action. It holds a veto along with Britain, France, China and Russia. Brazil proposed its own draft resolution late on Friday, seen by Reuters, which is essentially a more detailed version of Russia's text. It specifically condemns "the terrorist attacks by Hamas" and "urges the Israeli authorities to immediately rescind its order" for civilians to evacuate northern Gaza. (Reuters)_____________________________
Last updated: 2023-10-14 HKT 09:38 