United Nations relief chief Tom Fletcher on Tuesday (13 May) delivered a stark warning to the UN Security Council, condemning Israel for deliberately creating “inhumane conditions” for civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Fletcher described a calculated strategy that, in his words, has pushed Gaza to the brink of famine, and called for urgent international action to prevent further catastrophe in both Gaza and the West Bank.
He painted a grim picture of Gaza’s rapidly deteriorating situation, stating that for more than ten weeks, no food, medicine, water, or shelter had entered the enclave.
“Israel is deliberately and unashamedly imposing inhumane conditions on civilians,” Fletcher said.
“Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have again been forcibly displaced and confined into ever-shrinking spaces. Seventy percent of Gaza’s territory is now either within Israeli militarised zones or under displacement orders.”
He cited UN assessments indicating that all 2.1 million residents of Gaza face the risk of famine, with at least 20 percent already on the verge of starvation.
“This is despite the fact that donors have already funded the food that could save them,” Fletcher added.
Only a handful of hospitals remain operational, and those that have survived Israeli airstrikes and shelling are overwhelmed by the volume of trauma patients.
“Medics who have somehow survived drone and sniper attacks are unable to keep up with the trauma cases and the spread of disease,” he said.
Fletcher described visiting what remains of Gaza’s healthcare system and recalled a haunting statement from a hospital worker: “Children scream as we peel burnt fabric from their skin.”
On Tuesday morning, the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Younis was reportedly bombed once again, resulting in more civilian casualties.
Aid Blocked, Lives at Risk
Fletcher issued a passionate plea for the UN and its partners to be allowed to resume large-scale humanitarian operations in Gaza.
He emphasised that the UN has a coordinated plan and a proven ability to deliver aid—highlighting the success of operations during the brief ceasefire, when tens of thousands of aid trucks reached civilians.
“We have life-saving supplies ready now at the borders,” he said.
“We can save hundreds of thousands of survivors. We have rigorous mechanisms in place to ensure aid gets to civilians—not Hamas.”
He accused Israel of deliberately denying humanitarian access as part of its strategy to depopulate Gaza.
“It is bad enough that the blockade continues. But how should we react when Israeli ministers boast about it, while attacks on humanitarian workers and violations of UN privileges continue?” he asked.
UN Rejects Israeli Aid Conditions
Fletcher also criticised Israel’s proposed system for distributing aid, describing it as a mechanism that “practically excludes” the most vulnerable—people with disabilities, women, children, the elderly, and the wounded.
He called it a “cynical sideshow” designed to distract from the ongoing violence and displacement.
“It restricts aid to only one part of Gaza while leaving other dire needs unmet. It makes aid conditional on political and military aims. It makes starvation a bargaining chip,” he charged.
Fletcher said the UN had held 12 meetings with Israeli authorities—including one that morning—in attempts to negotiate over the proposal.
“We were trying to find a way to make it possible,” he said.
He stressed that the UN had clearly communicated its minimum conditions for engagement: that humanitarian aid must be based on independent assessments of need—a globally recognised, donor-mandated principle—and that aid must reach all those in need, regardless of their location.
Worsening Violence in the West Bank
Fletcher also drew attention to the escalating violence in the West Bank, describing it as the worst in decades.
He highlighted widespread reports of heavy weapon use, military operations in civilian areas, excessive force, and forcible displacement.
“Entire communities are being destroyed, refugee camps depopulated, and illegal settlement expansion continues unabated,” he said, noting an increase in settler violence—often carried out with the support of Israeli forces.
In one disturbing case, settlers reportedly abducted a 13-year-old girl and her three-year-old brother, tying them to a tree.
“Do we also say to them that we did all we could?” Fletcher asked the Council.
Failure to Act May Amount to Complicity
Fletcher also warned against the international community’s repeated failures in the face of mass atrocities, referencing past UN reviews of Rwanda, Srebrenica, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar.
“We have described the deliberate obstruction of aid operations and the systematic dismantling of Palestinian life in Gaza,” he said.
“The International Court of Justice is now considering whether genocide is taking place. But by the time a ruling is made, it may be too late.”
He reminded the Council that international humanitarian law obliges Israel, as the occupying power, to protect civilians, avoid forced displacement, and ensure access to aid.
Final Appeal: “Let Us Work”
Fletcher concluded his address with a direct appeal to all parties involved in the conflict.
“To the Israeli authorities: stop killing and injuring civilians. Lift this brutal blockade. Let humanitarians save lives,” he urged.
“To Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups: release all hostages immediately and unconditionally. Stop putting civilians at risk.”
He warned that the consequences of inaction would not be forgotten: “For those who will not survive what we fear is coming—right before our eyes—it will be no consolation to know that future generations will hold us in this chamber to account.
But they will. And if we have not seriously done all we could, then we should fear that judgment.”
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