Delegates from several United Nations Security Council member countries arrived in El-Arish on Monday, planning to travel to the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza.
This visit comes days after the United States vetoed a resolution in the council calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The unofficial one-day visit, organized by the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, occurs amidst a worsening humanitarian crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip, which the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described as a “graveyard for children.”
Over ten ambassadors from various countries, including Russia and the United Kingdom (which abstained from voting on the ceasefire resolution), are part of the delegation.
The United States, which utilized its veto power last week against the UAE’s proposed resolution, and France, also absent from the visit.
An official from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated during a press briefing upon their arrival, “There is no justification for turning a blind eye to the pain and suffering that the Palestinian people in Gaza are enduring.”
UAE’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Lana Nusseibeh, mentioned that some countries are participating in the visit “on a national and personal basis,” emphasizing that the aim is to assist them “not only in understanding the suffering and devastation experienced by Gaza’s residents but also in restoring their hope and resilience.”
Philip Lazarene, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), briefed the diplomats on the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza before heading to the besieged enclave for his third visit since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.
Lazarene highlighted that Palestinians are experiencing extreme hunger in Gaza, where an increasing number of people haven’t had a meal in days, some for two or three days, while others have nothing at all.
The diplomats are scheduled to head to the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing and visit a hospital treating Palestinian patients in El-Arish, near the border with Gaza.
The conflict in Gaza began following an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel in early October, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities. Hamas also took approximately 240 hostages, with 137 of them still in their custody.
In response, Israel pledged to “eliminate” Hamas and launched an intensive bombing campaign on Gaza, later commencing ground operations on October 27.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health under Hamas, the most recent figures released on Saturday evening report around 18,000 people killed in the Gaza Strip, with approximately 70% of them being women and children.
According to the United Nations, 1.9 million people, nearly 85% of the population, have been displaced from their homes in Gaza due to the war, which has destroyed or damaged over half of the homes.
Israel has imposed a “complete blockade” on Gaza since October 9, resulting in severe shortages of water, food, medicine, and electricity.
Necessary fuel to operate hospital generators and desalination plants is also unavailable.
