‘It is a path to more bloodshed’: UN envoys criticise Israel’s plan to seize control of Gaza City
UN member states have condemned Israel’s proposal to take control of Gaza City, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the move as the “best way” to end the ongoing conflict.
During an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Monday, August 11, Israeli Deputy UN Representative Brett Miller said the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) were preparing to seize Gaza City while ensuring humanitarian assistance reached civilians outside combat areas and beyond the control of Hamas.
“This is not a conquest. Israel has no plans or desire to permanently occupy Gaza. This is liberation from a brutal terror regime,” Miller stated.
Representatives from the UK, France, Russia, and other nations warned that the plan risked breaching international humanitarian law.
James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, said, "Expanding military operations will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict. It will not secure the release of the hostages. It will only deepen the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”
“This is not a path to resolution. It is a path to more bloodshed," he added.
The United States backed Israel’s position. US Representative Dorothy Shea told the council that Hamas “is not negotiating in good faith” and added, “This war could end today if Hamas let the hostages and all of Gaza go free.”
Netanyahu said the IDF had been ordered to dismantle the “two remaining Hamas strongholds” in Gaza City and the central area around al-Mawasi. He outlined a three-step humanitarian plan, including designated safe corridors for aid delivery, increased air drops by Israeli forces and partners, and more safe distribution points managed by the US and Israeli-backed Gazan Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
The UN reported earlier this month that nearly 1,400 Palestinians had died seeking food since May 27, including 859 in areas near GHF sites. Netanyahu accused Hamas of “violently looting the aid trucks” and deliberately causing shortages.
Reports suggest that the plan to take control of new areas in Gaza could take up to five months to complete.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
