'Evacuation order of Gazans an impossible demand': UAE calls for immediate end to Israel-Palestine hostilities

'Gaza has been under siege for 10 days; over a million people are now displaced'

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Palestinians flee Israeli bombardment of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. Photo: AP

Published: Thu 19 Oct 2023, 7:22 AM

Last updated: Thu 19 Oct 2023, 10:50 PM

One million people in Gaza are now displaced, and more than 500,000 people are sheltering in United Nations facilities as the Israel-Palestine conflict rages on, the UAE has said.

Citing reports, a UAE envoy said bombs are being dropped on UN schools and buildings where people are running to seek safety.

For nearly two weeks, Gaza has been subject to "relentless and indiscriminate bombardment" following the "heinous attack on Israel" on October 7, said Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE's Permanent Representative to the UN.

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She was addressing the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

UAE Ambassador to the U.N. Lana Zaki Nusseibeh addresses the Security Council. Photo: Reuters

"Gaza has been under siege for 10 days, during which a stranglehold has been placed around the necks of the civilians there," said the ambassador.

She called the evacuation order of over a million people from the strip an "impossible demand that fails to comply with international law".

"And yesterday (October 17), the situation got worse. The world watched the unthinkable happen: An attack targeted against the Al Ahli Baptist Hospital, resulting in the death of more than 500 people," said the ambassador.

She stressed that there is no ambiguity under international law: "In providing care to the wounded and sick, hospitals and medical personnel must at all times be protected, and they must never, never be the target of an attack."

She reiterated the call for an independent and full investigation into the attack, stressing that nothing can justify the strike.

Palestinians flee Israeli bombardment of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. Photo: AP

The next steps

The UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Wednesday discussed with UN Secretary-General António Guterres the importance of protecting civilians.

Referring to this conversation, Nusseibeh called for:

Immediate cessation of hostilities
Unconditional release of all hostages
Safe and unhindered access for all humanitarian aid workers.

"I'm sure many of you are disturbed by the images of civilians in Gaza boiling toilet water to give to their families," she said. "The reconnection of electricity, water, and telecommunications must happen, and the protection of all civilians must be our priority."

Trucks carrying humanitarian aid from Egyptian NGOs for Palestinians wait for the reopening of the Rafah crossing at the Egyptian side, to enter Gaza. Photo: Reuters

Humanitarian aid

She pointed out that humanitarian aid is piling up at Egypt's border with Gaza.

The UAE has opened an air bridge to transport life-saving supplies, "but without firm guarantees from all the parties that the trucks and civilians gathering to receive aid will not be targeted, they remain out of the hands of those who so desperately need them".

The UAE's government has announced an additional $70 million in aid for Gaza, added Nusseibeh.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is deteriorating by the hour.

"We are staring into the abyss, not only in Gaza but in what is now a widening regional conflagration," she said, calling for de-escalation and cessation of hostilities.

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