ATHENS 

The protection of civilians in conflict areas is both a moral imperative and a legal obligation, according to a joint statement issued by 80 UN member states on Thursday.

Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis delivered the statement on behalf of 80 delegations before the beginning of a UN Security Council meeting, which Greece is chairing this month.

The statement reads: “According to OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), Gaza faces the ‘worst humanitarian crisis’ since the commencement of hostilities, following the attacks of October 7, 2023, with civilians facing starvation and being at critical risk of famine, according to the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification), and with hundreds of aid workers having been killed since the conflict began.

“This cannot continue. Today, we come with a clear message: Protecting civilians is not optional. It is a legal obligation under international humanitarian law and a moral imperative that we cannot ignore.”

The countries also urged concerned parties to allow and facilitate safe, swift, and unhindered humanitarian access to all civilians in need.

“The instrumentalization of aid for political, military or security strategic objectives is unacceptable,” the statement underlined.

Nearly 2.4 million people in Gaza live completely dependent on humanitarian aid, according to World Bank data.

According to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), hundreds of thousands of Palestinians eat only one meal every two or three days amid Israel’s crippling blockade.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 53,800 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.