LONDON: The UK urged immediate action to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza during a meeting at the UN on Wednesday.

Barbara Woodward, Britain’s permanent representative to the UN, said at a Security Council session that the UK supported the call for the emergency meeting, with a focus on urgent steps needed to alleviate the suffering of civilians in the region.

“The situation in northern Gaza is harrowing,” she said.

“Approximately 400,000 Gazans have been ordered to evacuate the north and move southward to the IDF-designated humanitarian zone. Many of these people will already have been displaced, some many times over, and are desperately searching for refuge.

“But there are no safe places in Gaza. Just this week we saw horrifying images following the Israeli strike on Al-Aqsa Hospital, inside the IDF-designated humanitarian zone,” she added.

Woodward highlighted the severe challenges faced by those attempting to flee, including intimidation, traveling in active conflict zones and the threat of airstrikes. Those who remain face dire conditions, with extreme hunger and little access to healthcare or basic services.

The representative pointed to the lack of food aid delivered to northern Gaza in the first half of October, criticizing the Israeli authorities for blocking or delaying the majority of humanitarian efforts. With aid levels expected to be the lowest since the conflict began, the UK envoy described the situation as “unconscionable,” especially with a second winter approaching for Gaza’s population, which has been left with diminished resilience and resources.

She called on Israel to comply with international humanitarian law and ensure that aid reaches all areas of Gaza, expressing concern about legislative efforts to undermine UNRWA, a key player in the humanitarian response.

In a broader appeal, she demanded that civilians in northern Gaza be allowed to return to their communities and rebuild, warning against any forcible transfers or reductions in the territory of the Gaza Strip.

Woodward also highlighted the need for an immediate ceasefire to bring an end to the conflict and called on Hamas to release the 101 hostages still in captivity.

Beyond Gaza, she reiterated the UK’s call for a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, urging all parties to avoid civilian casualties and ensure the safety of UNIFIL personnel. In the West Bank, the UK envoy urged the Israeli government to crack down on settler violence and halt the expansion of illegal settlements on Palestinian land.

To support accountability, the UK recently imposed further sanctions on three illegal settler outposts and four organizations linked to human rights abuses against Palestinians.

“The Palestinian people, the Israeli people and the region as a whole deserve a better reality than the daily cycle of violence and fear to which they have become accustomed. But there is a path to peace, one which would see a safe and secure Palestinian state, beside a safe and secure Israel,” Woodward said.

“We urge the parties to be courageous and to take the path toward peace and a better future for their people.”