UN General Assembly President Francis: "The situation in Gaza is catastrophic, unconscionable, and shameful"

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly held an Emergency Special Session following the US veto of a draft resolution in the UN Security Council on February 20 that demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. In his speech, UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis stated that since its founding in 1945, the UN has had the comprehensive mandate to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, and he called on the international community to act now to end the crisis in Gaza.

Francis said, "The situation in Gaza is catastrophic, unconscionable, and shameful. I am shocked and horrified by reports from last week of hundreds of people killed and injured during the distribution of aid supplies in Gaza City."

"THE SCALE OF HUMANITARIAN AID OPERATIONS MUST BE ACCELERATED"

Expressing his deep concern over the continuation of Israel's ground offensive in Rafah, where approximately 1.5 million people live, Francis called for maximum restraint to save the lives of innocent civilians. Stating that the restrictions imposed by Israel on humanitarian access have significantly reduced the flow of life-saving aid, Francis noted that UNRWA reported a 50 percent decrease in the number of trucks entering Gaza from January to February. Francis said, "Therefore, it is essential that we rapidly and significantly increase the scale of humanitarian aid operations and ensure unrestricted access to all civilians in need."

Calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, Francis said, "All parties must comply with their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law, particularly regarding the protection of civilians and civilian facilities. Furthermore, all hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally, and full and unhindered access to humanitarian aid must be provided to those in need."

News Source: 12punto