Briefing by the UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, to the Security Council, New York, 02 July 2024

As delivered

Mr. President, Excellencies,

Nearly nine months have passed since the horrific terror attack by Hamas against Israel on the 7th of October. The scars of that day run deep, the pain of the hostages', the torment for their families is a constant reminder to the Israeli people and political life.

During this same period, Palestinian civilians in Gaza have been plunged into an abyss of suffering. Their homes lie shattered, their lives upended. The war has not merely created the most profound of humanitarian crisis; it has unleashed a maelstrom of human misery. The public health system, as you know, has collapsed, schools destroyed, and the disrupted education system threatens acutely future generations.

With summer temperatures soaring and severe shortages of basic services such as waste management, sanitation facilities and water supplies, the specter of outbreaks of infectious and communicable diseases looms large.

Following the Israeli offenses against Rafah since the 6th of May, over one million people have been displaced once again, desperately seeking shelter and safety. 1.9 million people are now displaced across Gaza. I am deeply concerned about reports of new evacuation orders, issued into the area of Khan Younis; its impact on the civilian population is deep. In Gaza, nowhere is safe.

Behind every statistic, Mr. President, is a human story of hope, dignity and aspirations. And in my visits to Gaza, I am met with voices that echo a single, heart-wrenching question: "Will our suffering ever end?".

Mr. President,

It cannot be repeated often enough. We need an immediate, full and complete ceasefire in Gaza. We demanded immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and unimpeded and continuous access to deliver aid at scale throughout the Gaza Strip, in line with Security Council resolution 2735. International humanitarian law and international human rights law must be respected by all. Protection of civilians remains the paramount priority. UNRWA must be allowed to deliver on its mandated role.

Mr. President,

Since our last briefing, I have continued to engage with key governments and other regional stakeholders at the highest political level. I met Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and key Cabinet members again two weeks ago, further to Security Council resolution 2720.

The resolution establishes a framework to expedite, streamline and accelerate the delivery of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza. As expected, this has been fraught with challenges. Yet, deliverables include the establishment of additional supply routes; the streamlining and facilitation which taken place; whilst the space for acceleration remains very much subject to political will as well as the enabling environment and conditions on the ground. There is no substitute for political will.

In addition, the resolution mandated the establishment of a Mechanism for monitoring and verification of humanitarian assistance. The Mechanism is now capturing humanitarian aid shipments from Jordan, Cyprus, Israel, and the West Bank into Gaza, ensuring greater volume at certain times, I underline, at certain times, transparency and prioritization. Its establishment in a matter of months is the result of tremendous collaboration and support from UNOPS.

The activation of the Mechanism for supplies from Egypt is expected by mid-July. Subject to approval of their visa, UN monitors are getting ready to deploy to the Mechanism’s newly established offices in Gaza. And options are being discussed on the feasibility and longer-term planning of the Cyprus Maritime Corridor with continued direct access to Gaza.

Finally, the Mechanism will also serve as the main platform to facilitate entry into Gaza of all critical humanitarian items, consolidating existing practices, further to the intent of the resolution.

I encourage Member States to continue to preposition supplies and to allocate financing to humanitarian agencies. Additional contributions are urgently needed to address and meet the gap of the 2.5 billion Flash Appeal.

As foreseen, Mr. President, by the resolution, in September this year, I will submit my last report to this Council, at which I will also share my broader observations.

Mr. President,

During my last briefing, I reported that on the 5th of April, the Israeli War Cabinet made several commitments with regard to resolution 2720.

My Mission has been monitoring the implementation of these and other commitments, some of which are in place. These include:

  1. The direct entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza from the North via Zikim and the Erez crossings, as well as the use of the port of Ashdod;
  2. Approval for the resumption of the electricity line into the desalination facility in Khan Younis. While the Nahal oz water line was also opened, I note that this morning there are reports that would indicate the water line was unfortunately damaged again in hostilities last night;
  3. Permission to enter select medical items, for instance UNFPA’s maternity wards and field hospitals in Northern Gaza;
  4. Further, critical communication protective equipment, which are vital for the UN and broad humanitarian operations in Gaza, have recently been approved and transferred to Gaza, while discussions on other essential items are still ongoing;
  5. Continued use of Gate 96 to allow the entry of humanitarian supplies and fuel.

We have seen an increase in the volume of commercial cargo entering Gaza, albeit irregularly. And we are in discussion to ensure commercial supplies are in line with the immediate needs of the population meeting the humanitarian requirements.

Mr. President,

Prime Minister Netanyahu has made further commitments to expedite the delivery of essential supplies for water, sanitation, waste management, and medical and educational needs. Urgent action is needed.

Following last week’s evacuation of 21 Palestinian children with serious illnesses and their accompanying adults from Gaza to Egypt via the Kerem Shalom/Karam Abu Salem crossing, discussions are ongoing to establish a more regular and predictable system of medical evacuations for patients, facilitated by WHO. In view of the immense need, I consider this a priority and ask for your urgent attention and support.

Mr. President,

In line with the resolution, a sustained flow of assistance to Gaza is needed to deliver quantity and quality of goods throughout all land and sea crossings, including the Rafah border crossing. This requires a continued focus. The ability of the UN and humanitarian partners to operate safely and securely inside Gaza is equally important in view of the ever-growing risks.

Since the start of the Israeli military operation in Rafah and the subsequent closure of the Rafah Border Crossing in early May, the volume of aid entering into Gaza or being distributed across Gaza has dropped significantly. Military activity and the lack of safe routes inside Gaza continue to severely impact humanitarian operations. A near-total breakdown of civil order has further led to an environment of lawlessness and criminality. This worrying trend further hampers the UN’s ability to deliver on its mandate. Many of you will be familiar with images of supplies accumulated at Kerem Shalom/Karam Abu Salem crossing. The UN has asked Israel to find solutions to enable the safe delivery of aid that includes its distribution. Aid that should be reaching Palestinian civilians across the Gaza Strip.

Since the 26th of May, trucks from Egypt have temporarily been rerouted via Kerem Shalom/Karam Abu Salem. To further the reopening of the Rafah Border Crossing, my Mission has submitted proposals to the parties with regards to possible reopening of the Rafah Border Crossing based on options provided.

Mr. President,

Urgent action remains required with regards to the following:

  • The establishment of an effective, credible, and predictable deconfliction and coordination system across Gaza. Discussions on this matter are currently underway as you know.
  • Continued access to all security and communication equipment as well as the critical humanitarian items needed for the delivery or repair of basic services;
  • Route clearance from mines and unexploded ordinances and the approvals urgently needed to undertake these assignments;
  • Prepositioned storage and the movement of the daily needed volume of fuel;
  • Imports of spare parts and relevant maintenance equipment;
  • And concerning the diversification of routes as well as sustainability of supplies, we need a further scaling up of the Jordan corridor, the expansion of volume of aid entering via Zikim and the Erez crossings respectively; the opening of additional crossings, especially to South Gaza; and consideration of movement of aid from North to South Gaza; and last but not least, the urgent reopening of the Rafah Border Crossing, also with a view to the important planning for recovery and reconstruction.

Mr. President,

While humanitarian assistance will be required for years to come, planning and preparing for the early recovery and reconstruction of Gaza is essential. We cannot ask Palestinian civilians to put their future on hold while they’ll cling to their human dignity under the most inhumane circumstances.

Establishing the framework and priorities for early recovery and reconstruction is both political and technical. While politics and conditions on the ground may dictate the pace and the nature of these efforts, preparations should not wait. Let’s look at what can be done now to complement and support the humanitarian response. Palestinians, young and old in Gaza, should not be asked to wait.

The Palestinian Authority has a critical role to play in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Authority is integral to planning for the implementation of Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction. And the international community must ensure the Palestinian Authority’s financial stability and support its reform, governance, and other capacities needed to reassume its responsibilities in Gaza.

I would also like to underline that the creation of a modern local economy across the Gaza Strip should be a priority. Palestinians cannot be expected to depend on humanitarian assistance alone. Commercial activities need to grow, and the private sector needs to be revitalized.

The 2720 Mechanism that has been established can be used to facilitate a scale up, the acceleration and expedition of all goods needed for Gaza, needed for the early recovery and reconstruction. This is beyond the current humanitarian focus.

Mr. President,

Ambitious reconstruction planning also requires ambitious and generous financing. This means the international community needs to consider a range of financing options and instruments, from traditional development financing to the establishment of new trust funds to tried-and-tested innovative financing instruments, with a view to sustaining the necessary levels of investments and guarantee financing flows including those from the private sector.

But when we talk about recovery, reconstruction or financing, this can be abstract, but if we view it through the human lens, the lens of our fellow human beings, it means the following:

  • Dignified shelter while more permanent housing is being built and/or refurbished;
  • The restoration of basic functioning health, sanitation and water systems;
  • The urgent rehabilitation of schools or the establishment of other places of learning relevant to higher education;
  • The creation of income-generating jobs;
  • Sustained and specialized mental health and psychosocial support services;
  • Support to local Civil Society Organizations or Non-Governmental Organizations, particularly those led by those inspiring young people or the strong women of Gaza I keep meeting on every visit;
  • Special attention and support is needed to the estimated 17,000 children orphaned by this war alone;
  • And to restore people’s dignity and quality of life, we need to urgently extend our hand to those with disabilities, including the vast number of young and old civilians that have suffered amputations and require constant support including the import of prostheses.

Some of this work should start now despite the conditions on the ground and it deserves the unwavering international support.

Mr. President,

Resolution 2720 has achieved intended and significant progress, but there is no substitute, as I mentioned, for political will, there is no substitute for the full respect of international humanitarian law, especially when it comes to the protection of civilians, and the safe and enabling environment to secure effective distribution.

Although intentions and commitments may be convincing, the only credible measure of change and progress are the improvements in the lives and well-being of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

There is a long road to travel to realize this; and much more remains to be done lest we fail the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

And of course it remains our duty to advocate for lasting peace between Israel and a fully independent, viable and sovereign Palestinian state, alongside a safe and secure Israel.

Mr. President,

I have a last four lines from a Palestinian girl in Gaza given to me on one of my field visits. It’s not necessarily in my style to do so, but I would like to read it to you. I will do so however in Arabic:

“My name is Fatima Al Masri. I’m eight years old. I’m from Gaza. I love my country. I love my friends. I live in a camp. I would like to live in a home, in a house like all other children.”

We owe it to all children.

Thank you.