UN aid coordinator’s ‘deep concern’ over new Gaza evacuation order; 1.9m people already displaced

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The UN has estimated that up to 250,000 people are impacted by the Israeli military order for civilians to leave Al-Qarara, Bani Suhaila and other localities near Khan Yunis. (AFP/File)
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UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, briefs the UN Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, at UN Headquarters in New York, on Jul. 2, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 02 July 2024
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UN aid coordinator’s ‘deep concern’ over new Gaza evacuation order; 1.9m people already displaced

  • Sigrid Kaag tells Arab News a ceasefire deal and release of all hostages would be a ‘game changer’ for efforts to address dire humanitarian situation in the territory
  • After addressing meeting of the Security Council, she says political intent and commitments are important but ultimately ‘change on the ground (is all) that matters’

NEW YORK CITY: The UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, told Arab News on Tuesday that a ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages would be a “significant game changer” for efforts to address the dire humanitarian situation in the war-torn enclave.
Although political intentions and commitments are important, she added, “the shift and change on the ground (is) the only metric, at the end of the day, that matters.”
Kaag was speaking in New York following a meeting of the Security Council convened by Russia, which holds the presidency of the council this month, to discuss the ongoing, catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.
She told council members that 1.9 million people are now displaced within the territory, and expressed “deep concern” about a new evacuation order issued yesterday for Gaza’s second-largest city, Khan Yunis. The UN estimates up to 250,000 Palestinians will be affected by this latest directive.
“Palestinian civilians in Gaza have been plunged into an abyss of suffering, their home life shattered, their lives upended,” Kaag said.
“The war has not merely created the most profound of humanitarian crises, it has unleashed a maelstrom of human misery.”
It is still the case that not enough aid is reaching the people of Gaza, she added as she underscored the necessity of opening new border crossings, particularly in southern Gaza, to help avert a humanitarian disaster.
Kaag in particular called for the reopening of the Rafah crossing on the border between Gaza and Egypt, and urged the international community to do more to fund relief efforts. “Political will” is paramount if humanitarian mechanisms are to work properly, she said.
Asked by Arab News whether during her meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu she sensed political will on his part to address the humanitarian plight of Gazans, Kaag said that while she is not in the habit of “giving personal comments on attitudes or of others, I care about the correct and constructive meeting that I have in a professional engagement.
“And ultimately — which I’ve said to the council — commitments and intentions are good (but) what matters is the shift and the change on the ground, what we can see and what we can measure; that’s the only metric, at the end of the day, that matters.”
Slovenia’s representative to the Security Council, Samuel Zbogar, told members: “The main goal of accelerating the safe delivery of aid to every corner of Gaza is not in sight. We are missing the main ingredient for the mechanism’s success, which is a ceasefire.”
Kaag told Arab News that “the international community, the (UN) secretary-general, the (Security) Council have been asking earlier for a ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and that of course would be a significant game changer when we talk about conditions on the ground (and) the ability of the United Nations and all the other international NGOs (nongovermental organizations) and local NGOs to reach people and to actually do their work.”


Palestinian health ministry says 4 killed in Israeli West Bank strike

Updated 52 min 57 sec ago
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Palestinian health ministry says 4 killed in Israeli West Bank strike

RAMALLAH: The Palestinian health ministry said Thursday that an Israeli air strike on a car killed four Palestinians and wounded three near the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarem.
The ministry announced that the Palestinians were killed “as a result of the (Israeli) bombing of a vehicle in Tulkarem camp,” which the Israeli army did not immediately confirm to AFP.


Turkiye, Iran leaders at Muslim summit in Cairo

Updated 19 December 2024
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Turkiye, Iran leaders at Muslim summit in Cairo

  • Relations between Egypt and Iran have been strained for decades, but diplomatic contacts have intensified since Cairo became a mediator in the war in Gaza

CAIRO: The leaders of Turkiye and Iran were in Egypt on Thursday for a summit of eight Muslim-majority countries, meeting for the first time since the ouster of Syria’s president Bashar Assad.
Turkiye historically backed the opposition to Assad, while Iran supported his rule.
The gathering of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, also known as the Developing-8, was being held against a backdrop of regional turmoil including the conflict in Gaza, a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon and unrest in Syria.
In a speech to the summit, Turkiye’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for unity and reconciliation in Syria, urging “the restoration of Syria’s territorial integrity and unity.”
He also voiced hope for “the establishment of a Syria free of terrorism,” where “all religious sects and ethnic groups live side by side in peace.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged action to address the crises in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, saying that it is a “religious, legal and human duty to prevent further harm” to those suffering in these conflict zones.
Pezeshkian, who arrived in Cairo on Wednesday, is the first Iranian president to visit Egypt since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who visited in 2013.
Relations between Egypt and Iran have been strained for decades, but diplomatic contacts have intensified since Cairo became a mediator in the war in Gaza.
Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi visited Egypt in October, while his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty traveled to Tehran in July to attend Pezeshkian’s inauguration.
Ahead of the summit, the Iranian top diplomat said he hoped it would “send a strong message to the world that the Israeli aggressions and violations in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria” would end “immediately.”
Erdogan was in Egypt earlier this year, and discussed with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi economic cooperation as well as regional conflicts.
Established in 1997, the D-8 aims to foster cooperation among member states, spanning regions from Southeast Asia to Africa.
The organization includes Egypt, Turkiye, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia as member states.


Iraq begins repatriating Syrian soldiers amid border security assurances

Updated 19 December 2024
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Iraq begins repatriating Syrian soldiers amid border security assurances

DUBAI: Iraq has begun the process of returning Syrian soldiers to their home country, according to state media reports on Wednesday.

Lt. Gen. Qais Al-Muhammadawi, deputy commander of joint operations, emphasized the robust security measures in place along Iraq’s borders with Syria.

“Our borders are fortified and completely secure,” he said, declaring that no unauthorized crossings would be permitted.

Muhammadawi said that all border crossings with Syria are under tight control, stating: “We will not allow a terrorist to enter our territory.”


Turkiye won’t halt Syria military activity until Kurd fighters ‘disarm’

Updated 19 December 2024
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Turkiye won’t halt Syria military activity until Kurd fighters ‘disarm’

ISTANBUL: Turkiye will push ahead with its military preparations until Kurdish fighters “disarm,” a defense ministry source said Thursday as the nation faces an ongoing threat along its border with northern Syria.
“Until the PKK/YPG terrorist organization disarms and its foreign fighters leave Syria, our preparations and measures will continue within the scope of the fight against terrorism,” the source said.


Hamas says Israeli strikes in Yemen ‘dangerous development’

Updated 19 December 2024
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Hamas says Israeli strikes in Yemen ‘dangerous development’

GAZA: Palestinian militant group Hamas said Thursday that Israel’s strikes in Yemen after the Houthi rebels fired a missile at the country were a “dangerous development.”
“We regard this escalation as a dangerous development and an extension of the aggression against our Palestinian people, Syria and the Arab region,” Hamas said in a statement as Israel struck ports and energy infrastructure in Yemen after intercepting a missile attack by the Houthis.