December 6, 2023: Letter from the Secretary General to the President of Security Council
The Secretary-General delivered a letter to the President of the Security Council, invoking Article 99 of the United Nations Charter. The Secretary-General urges the members of the Security Council to press to avert a humanitarian catastrophe, and he appeals for a humanitarian ceasefire to be declared.
I reiterate my utter condemnation of the abhorrent acts of terror perpetrated by Hamas on 7 October – and repeat my call for the immediate, unconditional and safe release of hostages held in Gaza...
The parties to the conflict -- and, indeed, the international community -- face an immediate and fundamental responsibility: to stop the inhuman collective suffering and dramatically expand humanitarian aid to Gaza...
The way forward is clear.
A humanitarian ceasefire. Now.
Flash Appeal for the Occupied Palestinian Territory
The United Nations and its partners issued a plan that outlines the minimum necessary to scale up humanitarian operations in support of 2.2 million people in the Gaza Strip and 500,000 of the most vulnerable in the West Bank. An estimated $1.2 billion is required to deliver existing humanitarian services amid ongoing hostilities.
The magnitude of this response and operational constraints are beyond what has ever been seen before in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and other contexts.
Background
The United Nations has played a significant role in addressing the enduring conflict between Israel and Palestine, and the UN has been actively involved in seeking a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
On 7 October 2023, Palestinian armed groups in Gaza launched thousands of rockets toward Israel and breached through the perimeter fence of Gaza at multiple locations, entering into Israeli towns and killing and capturing Israeli forces and civilians. The Israeli military declared “a state of war alert,” and began striking targets in the Gaza Strip, including residential buildings and health care facilities. Since then, thousands of people have been killed and more than one million have been displaced, as parts of Gaza have been reduced to rubble.
Learn more at Question of Palestine website.