There is little to celebrate in the latest, much-delayed announcement from the UN Security Council on Israel and Gaza. We of course continue to support calls for the unconditional release of hostages. However, while the Council voted for immediate, safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and for International Humanitarian Law to be upheld, they failed once again to call for a ceasefire.
The Israeli military campaign has killed over 20,000 Palestinians including 9,000 children in 11 weeks. Yesterday the UN warned of the very high risk of famine in Gaza, increasing every day as the situation persists.
Without a ceasefire it is simply not possible to deliver aid to the 2.3 million people in need, making their calls for safe humanitarian access ineffective and inadequate. While the Security Council members argued over the wording of the resolution, they chose to ignore the very humanitarian agencies that will be tasked to deliver aid, that have warned of this since the crisis began.
There is only one way to stop the killing of children, their death through starvation and disease, and their safe access to aid. That is an immediate ceasefire. Our politicians know this: humanitarian organisations like War Child have been telling them it for weeks. History will not reflect well on those world leaders who continue to ignore this advice, and who refuse to call for a ceasefire now.
