NEW YORK, Jan 3 (MENA) – Israel targeted civilians in the Gaza Strip, killing more than 45,000 Palestinians, 70 percent of whom were women and children, Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York Osama Abdel Khaleq told the United Nations Security Council during an emergency session Friday.
The session discussed Israeli attacks on health facilities in Gaza.
Abdel Khaleq noted that Israel destroyed Gaza’s civilian infrastructure and killed hundreds of United Nations staff and humanitarian workers.
He added that Israel directed its barbaric artillery fire at the Palestinian health sector. “Israel launched a campaign of killing and destruction targeting hospitals, health facilities, and medical staff. The latest of these attacks was the destruction of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, rendering it inoperable, emptying its patients, and arresting its medical staff and some of its patients.”
The senior diplomat reviewed the scale of the disaster caused by the destruction of Kamal Adwan Hospital, citing a statement from the World Health Organization on December 28, which indicated that the major health facility was rendered nonfunctional. The statement also mentioned the systematic dismantling of the healthcare system and the blockade imposed by Israel on northern Gaza for more than 80 days, putting the lives of 75,000 Palestinians remaining in the area at risk.
He pointed out that the efforts of the World Health Organization and its partners to support hospital operations had failed, bringing the lifeline of healthcare in northern Gaza to the brink of collapse. A report from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, released on December 31, highlighted the catastrophic consequences of Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza, which led to the collapse of the healthcare system and the inability to access essential life-saving treatments or secure locations.
Abdel Khaleq emphasized that the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system, combined with Israel’s restrictions on the entry and distribution of medical supplies, led to a deteriorating health situation and a medical disaster, resulting in immense suffering.
He added that there is no documented evidence to support Israel’s claims of using Gaza’s hospitals for purposes other than medical care, stressing the need to reaffirm Israel’s obligations as the occupying power to ensure the provision of medical services, public health, food supplies, and approval of relief plans.
Abdel Khaleq also highlighted the shortcomings of Israel’s justice system regarding the actions of its forces and the importance of conducting independent and transparent investigations, holding Israel fully accountable for all violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law.
Abdel Khaleq emphasized that Israel continues to commit crimes, boast about them, and justify its actions due to the absence of an effective deterrent or resolve from the international community to enforce UN resolutions and halt violations of international humanitarian law.
He added that Israel’s actions have systematically rendered Gaza uninhabitable, stripping it of basic human necessities through a series of repeated and varied crimes, including the destruction of the healthcare system, as part of a forced displacement policy aimed at erasing the Palestinian cause.
Abdel Khaleq expressed the Arab Group’s appreciation for Egyptian and Qatari mediation efforts, with US involvement, to facilitate a ceasefire.
He underscored the need for the international community to take decisive action, including halting forced displacement policies, ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid, compelling Israel to comply with international resolutions, and providing protection for civilians and healthcare workers.
Abdel Khaleq called for immediate measures to stop arms exports to Israel, holding it accountable for its crimes, and ensuring the protection of civilians and medical facilities in accordance with international conventions.
He criticized the double standards applied to Gaza compared to other regions and emphasized that Israel’s actions will not force Palestinians to abandon their land or compel Arabs and peace-loving nations to abandon the Palestinian cause.
Concluding his statement, Abdel Khaleq affirmed that, despite Israeli aggression, the Palestinian people will inevitably achieve their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
