As UN assistance chief Tom Fletcher warned of the danger of genocide and urged adherence to international humanitarian law, he called on the international community to take immediate action to stop the widespread suffering in Gaza, intensifying a diplomatic confrontation between the UN and Israel this week.
“Will you act – decisively – to prevent genocide and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law?” During a session behind closed doors, Fletcher questioned the 15-member UN Security Council. In a letter to Fletcher on Friday, Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon sharply criticised his comments, accusing him of politicising humanitarian efforts and misusing the word “genocide” to describe Israel’s activities.
Danon questioned Fletcher’s mandate, claiming the comments went beyond the bounds of his humanitarian role and amounted to an unjustified political accusation.
Fletcher, in a written reply to Danon the same day, defended his remarks and reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to impartiality and transparency. “I fervently believe in the UN Charter andd in our obligation to act with humanity, independence, impartiality, and neutrality,” Fletcher wrote. . “And of course, we are required to report with honesty about what we see.”
The conflict in Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, after a deadly Hamas attack killed 1,200 people in Israel and saw around 250 people taken hostage, has since escalated into one of the deadliest and most destructive in recent memory. According to health officials in Gaza, over 53,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign.
Amid ongoing fighting, humanitarian conditions in the coastal enclave have worsened dramatically. Israel has blocked all aid into Gaza since March 2, demanding the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas. . Additionally, Israel has charged Hamas withth misappropriating aid for its own purposes, a claim the organisation disputes.
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged the severity of the crisis, stating, “A lot of people are starving in Gaza,” as international pressure mounts on Israel to allow life-saving assistance to reach civilians.
Fletcher, in his letter to Danon, appealed for urgent action to lift the aid blockade. He said roughly 9,000 aid trucks, including 4,500 loaded with food, had already been cleared by Israel’s military coordination agency, COGAT, and were ready to enter Gaza. “We have solid plans to distribute to civilians, with verification measures to ensure that aid does not get stolen by Hamas,” Fletcher wrote. . “We demonstrated our ability to deliver at scale during the truce.
A global food security watchdog warned earlier this week that nearly 500,000 people—about a quarter of Gaza’s population—are at risk of starvation. Humanitarian organisations have repeatedly emphasised that without immediate and sustained access for aid, the humanitarian catastrophe will deepen further.