‘Nightmare Of Historic Proportion Must End,’ Urges Senior UN Official

A senior United Nations official told the UN Security Council Wednesday that the horrific situation in Gaza is worsening, with Israeli military operations and hostilities expanding throughout the war-shattered Strip and the human toll mounting by the hour, as intensive talks continue over a potential ceasefire agreement and release of hostages

UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Jul, 2025) A senior United Nations official told the UN Security Council Wednesday that the horrific situation in Gaza is worsening, with Israeli military operations and hostilities expanding throughout the war-shattered Strip and the human toll mounting by the hour, as intensive talks continue over a potential ceasefire agreement and release of hostages,

“This nightmare of historic proportions must end immediately,” Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Departments of Political and Peace-building Affairs and Peace Operations, said at the start the quarterly debate on 'The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question'.

The intensive Israeli military operations in Deir al Balah that has resulted in still further Palestinian displacement and direct strikes on two UN guesthouses has further exacerbated the dire situation and impeded humanitarian operations, he said.

At least 1,891 Palestinians were killed in Gaza since his last briefing on 30 June, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Khiari said. Some 294 were reportedly killed while attempting to collect aid, including in the vicinity of the US-backed militarized aid distribution sites.

Israeli forces continued to issue evacuation orders, causing the repeated displacement of the population, he added.

Today's meeting is being presided over by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Ishaq Dar, in Pakistan's capacity as the president of the Security Council for the month of July.

On his part, the Palestinian Ambassador, Riyadh Mansour, reported that four-year-old Razan fought for as long as she could, but her body gave up and she died of malnutrition on Sunday, as he described the appalling conditions in Gaza. Yesterday, six-week-old Yousef died of starvation and he was among 15 people starved to death in the last 24 hours in the enclave.

“Israel has destroyed everything, their lives, their homes, the mosques and the churches, the schools and the hospitals, the entire infrastructure of life and even the cemeteries,” Ambassador Mansour said, warning: “But make no mistake, the real target is the two million Palestinians who remain in Gaza. For Israel, their destruction is required for its scheme to take over the land.”

The international conference to be convened by Saudi Arabia and France at the end of this month offers a unique opportunity to transform international law and the international consensus into an actionable plan and demonstrate resolve to end the occupation and conflict once and for all the people, he said.

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