Palestine’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, broke down in tears during a speech to the UN Security Council on 28 May, as he described the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Speaking through emotion, he highlighted the agony of Palestinian families, especially children, suffering from hunger and violence.
“Dozens of children are dying of hunger,” Mansour said. “The images of mothers hugging the lifeless bodies of their children, stroking their hair, talking to them and apologising… are unbearable.”
His voice trembled as he added, “Excuse me, President. I have grandchildren. I know what they represent to their families. To see this catastrophe happening to the Palestinian people, and not feel your heart ache, is beyond any human sense of patience.”
At one point, Mansour pounded the table, visibly overcome by emotion. His speech was punctuated with moments of silence as he fought back tears.
He condemned attacks on all civilians, Palestinian and Israeli, but denounced what he described as global “double standards” in response to the crisis.
“Nothing can justify attacking civilians,” he said. “We are human beings. We are proud Palestinians. We should be treated exactly like everybody else.”
He accused the international community of turning a blind eye to Palestinian suffering.
“You cannot just see what you want in the mirror and ignore the huge elephant in the room – the Palestinian people,” he said.
Declaring Palestinian resilience, he said, “I can assure you that we are rooted in Palestine more than the olive trees… we will not wither away. We are staying in our homeland and we will attain our inalienable rights, hopefully sooner than later.”
Israel blames UN for aid delays and denies firing on Palestinians near US-backed aid route
Israel’s UN envoy, Danny Danon, responded by referencing former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir’s words: “Peace will come when you will love your children more than you hate us.”
Danon accused UN agencies of hindering aid delivery to Gaza, stating hundreds of lorries remained idle at the border due to alleged UN logistical failures.
“As we speak, there are more than 400 lorries already on the other side of the fence, waiting to be distributed,” Danon told reporters. “We opened the crossings. We provided safe routes. But the UN did not show up.”
According to the UN, about 600 lorries entered Gaza daily during a previous ceasefire.
Danon also rejected claims that Israeli forces fired at Palestinians attempting to access aid via a US-backed system on 27 May. The Gaza Health Ministry reported one death and 48 injuries in the incident.
“There were a few riots,” Danon said. “It took the American teams some time to take control… but we didn’t shoot anyone over there.”
WFP warns of starvation as Gaza warehouse stormed and Mansour recounts doctor’s tragic loss
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme reported that “hordes of hungry people” broke into a WFP warehouse in central Gaza on 28 May. Initial accounts stated two people died and several were injured.
“Gaza needs an immediate scale-up of food assistance,” the WFP said in a statement. “This is the only way to reassure people that they will not starve.”
In his speech, Mansour also cited the case of Dr Alaa al-Najjar, a Palestinian doctor whose nine children were brought to her hospital dead and burned.
The emotional climax of his address came as he burst into tears, forcing a brief pause.
With widespread shortages of food, water, and medicine, desperation among Gaza’s population has grown. Long queues for aid and violent clashes over limited resources have become common.
EU condemns Israeli operations and urges immediate resumption of large-scale humanitarian aid
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, condemned Israel’s actions.
“The disproportionate use of force and the deaths of civilians cannot be tolerated,” she stated. “The continued targeting of civilian infrastructure is unacceptable.”
Kallas insisted that humanitarian aid “must never be politicised or militarised” and underscored the UN’s role in aid delivery.
“The EU reiterates its urgent call for the immediate, unimpeded and sustained resumption of aid at scale,” she said.
Death toll nears 54,100 as Gaza war enters 600th day
On 29 May, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that at least 54,084 Palestinians have been killed and over 123,308 wounded since Israel’s military campaign began in October 2023. The conflict has now reached its 600th day.
Former Singapore president Halimah Yacob also weighed in on 23 May, condemning Israel’s blockade on Gaza and describing it as a worsening humanitarian catastrophe. She called for international accountability, warning that silence enables violations of international law.
Nearly half a million people in Gaza are now facing catastrophic hunger, with the entire population of 2.1 million enduring food insecurity, illness, and displacement.
The World Health Organization earlier warned that the Gaza crisis as one of the worst hunger emergencies in the world today, describing it as “unfolding in real time.”
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