UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep regret on Sunday over the failure of the UN Security Council to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, citing divisive geostrategic divisions that have “paralysed” the world body. Speaking at Qatar’s Doha Forum, Guterres lamented that the council’s delayed response to the Israel-Hamas conflict, which began on October 7, has severely undermined its authority and credibility.
The UN chief highlighted the critical situation two days after a US veto thwarted a resolution calling for a Gaza ceasefire. Despite the setback, Guterres reiterated his appeal for a humanitarian ceasefire and pledged not to give up on the pursuit of peace.
Convening an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council after two months of intense fighting that claimed over 17,700 lives in Gaza, primarily women and children, Guterres deployed the rarely-used Article 99 of the United Nations Charter. This move brought attention to any matter that, in his opinion, may threaten international peace and security, marking the first time the rule had been invoked by a UN chief in decades.
“We are facing a severe risk of collapse of the humanitarian system,” Guterres warned at the Doha Forum. He underscored that the situation is rapidly deteriorating into a catastrophe with potentially irreversible implications for Palestinians and the broader peace and security in the region.
The Israel-Hamas conflict, triggered by deadly attacks from the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel, continues to escalate, raising concerns about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the urgent need for international intervention.
