HAMILTON, Canada
The Palestinian envoy at the UN on Wednesday emphasized the grim situation in Gaza, as he called on the Security Council to uphold its duty to protect the redline set for Gaza.
"If we decide to hold a funeral every single day for each Palestinian killed in the last eight months, it will take us 100 years to honor them all," said Majed Bamya, the deputy permanent representative of Palestine to the UN at a Security Council session on Palestine.
Stressing that there is barely anything left standing in Gaza, Bamya said: "Israel has destroyed everything."
"But there is everything left still in Gaza; 2.3 million people who have been in a constant battle with death for the last eight months. They are the victims. But they are also heroes because they refuse to surrender to death," he added.
Noting that despite the precautionary measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Bamya said Israel caused famine by blocking aid, and bombed forcibly displaced people living in tents in Rafah.
Emphasizing that it is evident to the entire world that there is no safe place in Gaza, Bamya said children are being burned alive.
"When will it be enough? What are the levels of cruelty that must be reached before this assault is finally brought to an end?" Bamya asked.
Stressing that Israel has violated every redline set by the entire world, Bamya said: "There is no redline imposed by legality, rationality, humanity that Israel has not crossed. It is now crossing the redline set by the entire world on Rafah and it is the duty of this council to uphold that redline."
He questioned Israel's desire for peace and security for itself while imposing occupation on Palestinians.
Stating that Palestinians are seen as "human animals," Bamya said: "To them, our civilians are less civilians than their civilians, we are less of human beings."
Reminding that Israel has not paid for its crimes over the past 75 years, Bamya asked: "If after Gaza, after the genocide, we don't have accountability. When will we have it?"
- Russia calls on UNSC to 'pressure Israel and its ally US'
Russia's deputy permanent representative to the UN, Anna Evstigneeva, also remarked: "It's clear that we shouldn't expect the Israeli military machine to stop its actions anytime soon."
Highlighting that Israel intends to continue its "operations" in Gaza despite not achieving its goals, Evstigneeva stressed: "The UN Security Council must continue to put pressure on Israel, as well as on its ally the US."
Evstigneeva noted that Israel's allegations of sexual violence and involvement of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) employees in the Oct. 7 attacks have backfired and proven to be unfounded.
The US deputy permanent representative to the UN, Robert Wood, noted that Israel's airstrikes and similar attacks on civilians on May 26 have undermined Tel Aviv's "strategic goals in Gaza."
Stating that the ICJ's precautionary measures decision on May 24 aligns with the US stance, Wood argued that the US also opposes "major military operation in the heart of Rafah that would put huge numbers of civilians at risk."
Wood stated that there are better alternatives to Israel's "major operation" aimed at defeating Hamas, and expressed concern over the limited amount of aid reaching Gaza.
- Algeria demands UNSC to assume its legal responsibilities, enforce ICJ's decisions
Algeria's permanent representative to the UN, Amar Bendjama, stated: "The suffering of the Palestinian people began with the occupation and it will only end when the occupation is over."
Recalling that Israel has approved new illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, Bendjama noted that these actions violate the UNSC resolutions but have not been punished by the council.
Emphasizing that the council must act in unity, Bendjama stated: "Waiting for the occupying power to voluntarily abide by international law and Security Council resolution is pointless. The occupation authority has made it clear they will not comply with the orders of the International Court of Justice."
Bendjama said that instead, Israel continues to cover up its crimes by calling them "tragic mistakes."
He further stressed that the council must enforce the ICJ's decisions, stating: "We demand that the council assume its legal responsibilities."
- South Africa wants Security Council to ‘meaningfully act’
South Africa's permanent representative to the UN, Mathu Joyini, recalled that the Israel-Palestine issue has been on the council's agenda since the UN's existence, and noted that when the council fails to end wars, people die.
"How many times does the council have to be reminded of these matters before it can meaningfully act?" Joyini asked, emphasizing that the council must call for a cease-fire.
Joyini stated that the cease-fire requested during Ramadan in Gaza was not implemented and the council did not respond appropriately.
She said that under the ICJ's decisions, all countries are also obliged to prevent Israel from committing genocide and not to violate the Genocide Convention by supporting it, warning: "This is suddenly imposing an obligation on all states to cease funding and facilitating Israel's military actions, which are probably genocidal."
Joyini reported that South Africa has submitted a dossier containing evidence of Israel's genocidal intent.
Israel has launched a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 following a Hamas attack, killing more than 36,170 people and injuring 81,400 others.
Nearly eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel stands accused of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
