HAMILTON, Canada

The UN humanitarian chief on Wednesday called on the Security Council to examine whether Israel is fulfilling its obligations under international law in the Gaza Strip.

"With these facts before you, I ask you as a council to assess whether Israel is meeting its international legal obligations and whether we humanitarians can fulfill our mandate," Tom Fletcher said at an emergency session of Council on Gaza.

Describing the situation as indescribable, he said: "We are beyond vocabulary to describe conditions in Gaza, so let me instead share facts."

Fletcher cited soaring hunger, attacks on civilians waiting for food, and a collapsing health care system where "five babies share one incubator" and "70% of essential medicines are out of stock."

He said over 5,800 children were diagnosed as acutely malnourished in June alone and warned that humanitarian operations are being increasingly targeted.

"Each time that we report on what we see, we face threats of further reduced access," he said, pointing to a 56% denial rate for emergency medical teams trying to enter Gaza in 2025.

Fletcher underlined that "Gaza's soaring humanitarian needs must be met without drawing people into a firing line," and reminded the Security Council members that "Israel, as the occupying power, is obligated to ensure that people have food and medical supplies. But that is not happening."

On the occupied West Bank, Fletcher denounced the "alarming" escalation of illegal Israeli settler violence against Palestinians, noting an average of four attacks per day in June.

"This year, 100 Palestinians were injured by Israeli settlers – the highest number in two decades," he said.

While affirming that ani-Semitism must be fought "with every fiber of our DNA," Fletcher emphasized: "We must also hold Israel to the same principles and laws of all other states."

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell also echoed the dire situation in Gaza, and stressed that "children are not political actors. They do not start conflicts, and they are powerless to stop them, but they suffer greatly, and they wonder why the world has failed them."

Noting that children in Gaza are "enduring catastrophic living conditions," she said over 6,000 children were found to be acutely malnourished in June, a 180% rise from February, and warned that thousands with injuries or medical conditions are at risk of dying due to lack of care.

Urging a return to "safe and sustained humanitarian access" through all available crossings, Russell said: "Simple truth is that we are failing Gaza's children. Seen through their eyes, our failure is a betrayal of their right to be children, children who are healthy, who are safe, who are educated."

"History will judge this failure harshly and the children will judge it, too, children in Gaza like children all over the world deserve peace," she said, urging to "do better."