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Guterres does not deserve to lead UN, says Cohen

Earlier this month, Guterres voiced his anguish over the suspected air strike on a convoy of ambulances outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza…reports Asian Lite News

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Tuesday on his visit to the UN office in Geneva, called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to resign in response to his criticism of Israel last month, The Times of Israel reported.

Cohen is on a visit to the UN office in Geneva and has been attending meetings with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Health Organization.

“(UN Secretary-General Antonio) Guterres does not deserve to lead the United Nations. Guterres did not promote any peace process in the region…Guterres, like all the free nations, should say clearly and loudly: ‘Free Gaza from Hamas,” Cohen said at a press conference at the UN in Geneva.

His reaction came after Guterres strongly criticised Israel last month, stating while nothing justifies the crimes committed by Hamas, they did not occur in a vacuum, according to The Times of Israel.

Earlier this month, Guterres voiced his anguish over the suspected air strike on a convoy of ambulances outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza.

Following the attack on the al-Ahli hospital, the UN chief posted on his social media handle, “I am horrified by the killing of hundreds of Palestinian civilians in a strike on a hospital in Gaza today, which I strongly condemn.”

Underlining the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with reports of food, water, medicine, and fuel for hospitals and water plants in short supply, Guterres added, “Not nearly enough food, water and medicine are coming in to meet people’s needs. Fuel to power hospitals and water plants is running out.”

Responding to Guterres’s statement, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, took a swipe at the UN Secretary-General for rushing to condemn Israel without seeking a full understanding of the situation.

Invoking the UN chief’s remarks in light of a previous suspected air strike at Gaza’s al-Ahli hospital, he accused Guterres of making false claims about aid not entering Gaza and ignoring the alleged misuse of ambulances by Hamas to further its nefarious actions.

Moreover, Foreign Minister Cohen today during a meeting with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) president Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, also demanded that the International Committee of the Red Cross “work through all channels” to secure visits to the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, The Times of Israel reported.

“We expect the Red Cross to put the issue at the top of the organization’s priority list, to use all levers of pressure, and not rest until it visits all the hostages, assesses their condition, and makes sure they are receiving the medical care they need,” Cohen said. (ANI)

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India Urges Swift Action as UN Security Council Reform Faces Stalemate

The Council is ineffective in the two major contemporary conflicts, Ukraine and Gaza, unable to even demand a cease-fire because of the veto powers of the permanent members…reports Asian Lite News

With the Security Council “crumbling under the weight of 21st-century geopolitical realities”, India has said that “naysayers” should be stopped from blocking its reform.

The negotiations for reforming the Council that was started 14 years ago should be made to deliver concrete outcomes within a fixed time frame, Pratik Mathur, a counsellor at India’s Mission, said on Tuesday at a meeting on revitalising the General Assembly.

“Naysayers cannot be allowed to hold the intergovernmental negotiations (IGN) process hostage in perpetuity,” he said referring to the machinery set up by the Assembly for Council reform.

He said that the reform negotiations should adopt a text-based process and not be blocked by procedural tactics.

The IGN is stalled because it has been prevented from adopting a negotiating text that would form the basis of discussions to progress by setting a firm agenda and recording the points of convergence and divergence that need to be worked on.

A 12-member group of countries known as Uniting for Consensus, which is led by Italy and has Pakistan as a leading member, has used procedural tactics to prevent the adoption of a negotiating text because they oppose expanding the permanent membership of the Council, a demand of the majority of UN’s 193 members.

Mathur said that there was “widespread recognition that the current architecture is anachronistic, and indeed ineffective” and in a reference to the exclusion of Africa and Latin America from permanent membership he said that it was “deeply unfair” as it denied “entire continents and regions of voice in a forum that deliberates their future”. 

“We need an all-encompassing comprehensive reform process, which includes expansion of categories, both permanent as well as non-permanent seats in the Security Council”, he said.

The basic architecture of the Council is stuck in the post-World War II scenario when the five victors assumed permanent membership and veto powers that came with it for themselves and the UN’s membership was 51 while most of the world was under the colonial yoke of two permanent members.

The Council’s veto and the relationship between the Assembly and the Council should also be considered against “the backdrop of the prevailing global scenario”, he said. 

The Council is ineffective in the two major contemporary conflicts, Ukraine and Gaza, unable to even demand a cease-fire because of the veto powers of the permanent members.

The Council is “crumbling” and it “has turned some of the tide towards the General Assembly, giving us more face time and traction, where the voice of Global South is a formidable force, unlike what is the case in the Security Council,” Mathur said. 

Even though the Assembly has no enforcement powers, it took steps to make the permanent members of the Council morally answerable for the exercise of veto powers.

Whenever a permanent member vetoes resolutions at the Council, it now has to appear before the Assembly and explain its action while also facing criticism from other UN members.

The Assembly has also passed resolutions echoing the sentiments of the vetoed Council resolutions by large majorities.

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Humanitarian Crisis Looms

Humanitarian organisations are also facing severe communication breakdowns, which is also associated with fuel depletion…reports Asian Lite News

The UN Relief Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) warned that its humanitarian operations in Gaza will come to a halt within 48 hours following the total depletion of its fuel reserves.

In a post on X late Monday, the Agency said: “After 3 weeks of emptying a bulk reservoir of fuel, UNRWA trucks have run out of fuel. We will not be able to receive aid coming through the Rafah crossing tomorrow (Tuesday).

“The humanitarian operation in Gaza Strip will grind to a halt within 48 hours as no fuel is allowed to enter.”

Also in a social media post, UNRWA operative director in Gaza Thomas White said: “This morning, two of our main water distribution contractors stopped working — they simply ran out of fuel”.

This resulted in 200,000 people being left without access to potable water.

Mentioning that “over the past three weeks, after close coordination with the Israeli government, UNRWA managed to access a large tank of fuel in Gaza on the border with Egypt”, the official said, complaining: “But this tank is now empty.”

Humanitarian organisations are also facing severe communication breakdowns, which is also associated with fuel depletion.

Since October 11, the Gaza Strip has been under an electricity blackout, following Israel’s shutting off the electricity supply and the depletion of fuel reserves for the Hamas-controlled enclave’s sole power plant.

The entry of fuel, which is desperately needed to operate electricity generators to run life-saving equipment, remains banned by the Israeli authorities.

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Palestinian Ambassador Calls for Western Support in Gaza Crisis

Khraishi also voiced concern over the unequal voices of Western countries in defending Israel’s right to respond and in calling for caution to reduce civilian casualties…reports Asian Lite News

The Palestinian Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Ibrahim Khraishi, urged Western states to show stronger support for a ceasefire in Gaza while addressing a gathering of diplomats and reporters on Friday.

Khraishi was speaking alongside more than 40 ambassadors, after observing a minute of silence for the thousands of civilian casualties in Gaza and the unprecedented fatalities among UN staff, Xinhua news agency reported. 

He called for ending the occupation of Gaza by Israeli forces and stressed that resorting solely to supplying humanitarian aid was insufficient to resolve the crisis.

He referenced UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ earlier statement, emphasising that the situation in Gaza has gone beyond the definition of a humanitarian crisis and is challenging the fundamental principles of humanity.

Khraishi also voiced concern over the unequal voices of Western countries in defending Israel’s right to respond and in calling for caution to reduce civilian casualties.

Ambassadors attending Friday’s event mainly represent Middle Eastern, Asian and African nations. The absence of Western countries was notable, except for the Dutch ambassador who stood on the sidelines.

Khraishi said countries are considering calling a special session of the UN Human Rights Council to debate the Gaza crisis.

ALSO READ-UAE, Qatar Discuss Gaza De-Escalation

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UN calls for ‘immediate humanitarian ceasefire’ in Gaza

The global watchdog said that the October 7 attack on Israel doesn’t justify the “horrific killings” of even more civilians in Gaza and cutting off 2.2 million Palestinians from amenities…reports Asian Lite News

The United Nations on Monday reiterated its demand for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza amid the war with Israel and said that keeping an entire population besieged, under attack and denied access to amenities is “unacceptable”

The UN Geneva issued a statement by ‘Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee on the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory’.

“We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. It’s been thirty days. Enough is enough. This must stop now. Heads of 18 UN agencies and NGOs issue a joint statement on #Gaza,” it posted on X (formerly Twitter).

The global watchdog said that the October 7 attack on Israel doesn’t justify the “horrific killings” of even more civilians in Gaza and cutting off 2.2 million Palestinians from amenities.

It further stated that more aid including food, water, medicines, and fuel needs to enter Gaza and an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” is needed.

“For almost a month, the world has been watching the unfolding situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory in shock and horror at the spiralling numbers of lives lost and tom apart,” the UN statement read.

It stressed that in Israel, around 1,400 people have been killed and thousands have been injured, and more than 200 people, including children, have been taken hostage.

“Rockets continue to traumatize families. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced. This is horrific,” the statement read.

It added, “However, the horrific killings of even more civilians in Gaza is an outrage, as is cutting off 2.2 million Palestinians from food, water, medicine, electricity and fuel”.

The UN further said citing Health Ministry in Gaza that nearly 9,500 people have been killed in Gaza, including 3,900 children and over 2,400 women, while over 23,000 injured people require immediate treatment within overstretched hospitals.

“An entire population is besieged and under attack, denied access to the essentials for survival, bombed in their homes, shelters, hospitals and places of worship. This is unacceptable,” the statement added.

It emphasised that over 100 attacks against health care have been reported. Scores of aid workers have been killed since October 7 including 88 UNRWA colleagues — the highest number of United Nations fatalities ever recorded in a single conflict.

“We renew our plea for the parties to respect all their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law,” the UN stated.

It added, “We renew our call for the immediate and unconditional release of all civilians held hostage”.

The global agency stated that civilians and the infrastructure they rely on, including hospitals, shelters and schools, must be protected.

“More aid including food, water, medicine and of course fuel — must enter Gaza safely, swiftly and at the scale needed, and must reach people in need, especially women and children, wherever they are,” the UN statement read.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also expressed concerns over the situation in Middle East over the “clear violations of international humanitarian law”.

“I am deeply concerned about clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in the Middle East. The protection of civilians must be paramount. They are #NotATarget. Nobody is above international humanitarian law,” Guterres posted on X. (ANI)

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S Africa calls for UN force to protect Gaza civilians

Calling the deaths a direct result of “the unlawful actions by Israel on the peoples of Gaza”, South Africa said Israel does not have the “right to defend itself” using military means…reports Asian Lite News

South Africa has called on the United Nations to deploy a rapid protection force to protect the civilian population of Gaza amid reports about a large number of children being killed there as the Israeli forces heightens attacks on the Hamas-ruled enclave.

“South Africa echoes the UN General Assembly’s resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate opening of a humanitarian corridor to provide food, medical supplies and fuel,” the country’s Department of International Relations and Cooperations said in a statement on Monday.

It said that South Africa also “calls on the United Nations to deploy a rapid protection force to protect the civilian population from further bombardment.”

“All countries genuinely committed to a rules-based system underpinned by international law must act immediately. South Africa calls for the International community to hold Israel accountable for breaches of International Law,” it added.

‘Save the Children’, a humanitarian organisation for children, has reported that the number of children killed in Gaza over the last three weeks has surpassed the annual number of children killed across all the world’s conflict zones since 2019.

Since October 7, when Israel commenced retaliatory attacks after Hamas attacked and abducted some Israeli civilians, more than 3,500 Palestinian children are reported to have been killed.

According to the NGO, there may be more than 1,000 more children who have been reported missing still lying in the rubble of demolished buildings.

“All of these children killed since 7 October are non-combatants and those responsible for their deaths must be held accountable for war crimes, crimes against humanity and in the case of the scale of deaths in Gaza and increasingly in the West Bank, the crime of genocide must also be investigated,” the South African Ministry said.

Calling the deaths a direct result of “the unlawful actions by Israel on the peoples of Gaza”, South Africa said Israel does not have the “right to defend itself” using military means as Israel is an occupying power.

It said this has been confirmed by the International Court of Justice.

“As the occupying power, Israel can use tools applicable to the rule of law, including policing powers to deal with criminal actions,” it said.

“Those that have encouraged and materially supported the unlawful use of force by Israel in the current situation should therefore be investigated for aiding and abetting the breaches of international law,” the statement said, adding that the ICC should use its independent powers to initiate prosecutions urgently, as it did with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Ukraine war.

The statement recalled how Minister Naledi Pandor, speaking at the UN Security Council last week, reminded the world of the genocide in 1994 in Rwanda, when over half a million members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa, were killed by armed Hutu militias.

“We all recall that in 1994 a genocide occurred on the African continent with much of the whole world watching as innocent people were massacred. History cannot keep repeating such cruelty, we should establish a system of global governance that is fair, equitable, and has the capacity to respond to the needs of all persons in situations of threat and harm – a system that is not just a tool for the most powerful countries of the world but that provides protection for the most vulnerable,” Pandor said.

‘One child killed every 10 minutes’

The Emergency medical centre in Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry has alleged that one child is killed and two are injured in every 10 minutes of Israel’s aggression. In a statement on Sunday, Moatasem Salah, Director of the Emergency Centre said 3,900 children have been killed and 8,067 children injured since Israel started attacking Gaza.

It further said that 1,250 children are still missing. The statement also added that 70 per cent of those killed in Israeli aggression were children, women and the elderly.

Israel has been bombing Gaza since the October 7 Hamas attacks in which 1,400 people were killed and at least 239 people kidnapped as hostages.

‘Egypt receives 40-50 wounded Gazans daily’

Egypt has been receiving 40 to 50 wounded Palestinians on average daily from Gaza for treatment since November 1, Egypt’s Health Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar has said. All the patients entered through the Rafah crossing, and most of them were in serious condition, he told a press conference held at Al-Arish Hospital in the North Sinai Province.

“At least 60 per cent of the injured were children and women, some of whom lost limbs, in addition to cases with shrapnel injuries in the brain, eyes, and lungs,” he noted.

Hospitals in the North Sinai Province are ready to receive wounded Palestinians, he said, noting that some cases will be transferred to hospitals in the provinces of Port Said, Ismailia, and Cairo when necessary.

Abdel-Ghaffar pointed out that about 150 ambulances stand by near the Rafah crossing and in other parts of the province.

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Parents in Gaza Resort to Salty Water for Children: UN

UN called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and increasing aid supplies to Gaza…reports Asian Lite News

As Gaza faces shortage of essentials, people were forced to give salty water to their kids, UN children aid agency UNICEF said.

The shortage that Gaza was facing has been raised to another level, UNICEF spokesperson Toby Fricker was quoted as saying by BBC.

Talking about the aid supplies, Fricker said aid supplies are coming but are minimal.

He called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and increasing aid supplies to Gaza.

On Sunday, more than 30 aid trucks entered Gaza, the largest humanitarian aid convoy to the territory since limited deliveries were allowed, the UN said.

ALSO READ: Hunger and desperation in gaza

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UN, EU criticize Gaza bombardments 

Israel unleashed its bombing campaign after Hamas gunmen stormed across the Gaza border on October 7, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians…reports Asian Lite News

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday sharply criticized the “unprecedented escalation” by Israel of the bombardments in Gaza, and repeated a call for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire for the delivery of aid.

“I was encouraged by what seemed to be a growing consensus for the need of at least a humanitarian pause in the Middle East,” Guterres said in a statement. “Regrettably, instead I was surprised by an unprecedented escalation of bombardments, undermining humanitarian objectives.”

He called for the situation to be reversed, during a visit to the Qatari capital, Doha, where he met with foreign minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman.

Guterres spoke as Israel announced Saturday that the war with Hamas had “entered a new phase,” with its forces relentlessly pounding Gaza three weeks into a conflict sparked by the deadliest attack in the country’s history.

Israel unleashed its bombing campaign after Hamas gunmen stormed across the Gaza border on October 7, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and seizing more than 220 hostages, according to Israeli officials.

The Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza said Israeli strikes had killed 7,703 people, mainly civilians, with more than 3,500 of them children.

“I reiterate my appeal for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire, together with the unconditional release of hostages and the delivery of relief at a level corresponding to the dramatic needs of the people in Gaza, where a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in front of our eyes,” Guterres said in the statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Qatar, which hosts a political bureau for Hamas in Doha and has provided millions of dollars in financial aid to Gaza, has been linked to mediation efforts for a prisoner exchange between the Palestinian militant group and Israel.

The top diplomat “underscored the State of Qatar’s complete rejection of the indiscriminate bombing of the Gaza Strip and the attempts to forcibly displace its people,” according to a foreign ministry statement.

He also warned of “the danger of a ground escalation… to the safety of civilians and hostages in Gaza.”

Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell demanded on Saturday a “pause of hostilities” to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip after the intense overnight bombing of the coastal territory.

“Gaza is in complete blackout and isolation while heavy shelling continues. UNRWA warns about the desperate situation of Gaza people without electricity, food, water,” he said on social media.

“Far too many civilians, including children, have been killed. This is against International Humanitarian Law,” he said. “A pause of hostilities is urgently needed to enable humanitarian access,” Borrell added.

Borrell also condemned all attacks on civilians, “including continuing indiscriminate rocket attacks against Israel” and called for the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”

Late on Friday Israel stepped up its air campaign on Gaza, turning hundreds of buildings and thousands of houses into rubble.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned earlier on Saturday there was the potential for thousands more civilians to die if Israel presses a major ground offensive in Gaza.

ALSO READ: Gaza Crisis Reshapes Pro-Israel Sentiment In US

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Bagchi appointed India’s Permanent Representative to UN

A 1995-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Bagchi is an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs…reports Asian Lite News

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi has been appointed India’s next Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva.

A 1995-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Bagchi is an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.

Bagchi took over as spokesperson in March 2021. His tenure was eventful as it spanned the COVID-19 pandemic, the standoff with China in eastern Ladakh, India hosting the G20 Summit in September this year and the increased pace of India’s engagements with various partners.

“Arindam Bagchi (IFS:1995), presently Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been appointed as the next Ambassador/Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva,” an MEA release said.

It said that Bagchi is expected to take up the assignment shortly. (ANI)

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Sudan’s Six-Month Conflict Spurs Humanitarian Nightmare

UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths speaks at a Security Council meeting on Yemen at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 15, 2022. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)

Cholera is already stalking the country, with more than 1,000 suspected cases in Gedaref, Khartoum and Kordofan…reports Asian Lite News

UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, has called for the protection of civilians and an end to hostilities six months into the military conflict in Sudan.

“It is time for parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law. It is time for them to honour the commitments they made in Jeddah to protect civilians and allow humanitarian aid. It is time for them to recommit to dialogue at the highest levels to end this conflict, once and for all,” said Griffiths on Sunday in a statement.

He added that donors must step up their support, noting that the international community cannot desert the people of Sudan, Xinhua news agency reported.

Half a year of war has plunged Sudan into one of the worst humanitarian nightmares in recent history. With up to 9,000 people reportedly killed, more than 5.6 million driven from their homes and 25 million people in need of aid, the impact of this conflict on Sudan and the region cannot be overstated, said Griffiths.

Aid workers are hindered in reaching people in need due to insecurity and red tape. At least 45 aid workers have been killed or detained since the outbreak of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on April 15 — almost all of them are national staff.

Even in accessible areas, humanitarians are hamstrung by underfunding as only a third of the $2.6 billion required to help those in need in Sudan this year has been received, Griffiths added.

Cholera is already stalking the country, with more than 1,000 suspected cases in Gedaref, Khartoum and Kordofan. Basic services are crumbling. More than 70 per cent of healthcare facilities in conflict areas are out of service. Griffiths said the fighting is keeping 19 million children out of school.

“This cannot go on,” he added.

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