Israel sharply criticized UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher for his appeal to the world organization's Security Council to act to "prevent genocide" in the Gaza Strip. The reason for his appeal was the situation in the Palestinian enclave.
According to experts, the population there is threatened with starvation, as Israel has stopped aid deliveries to the strip for 75 days, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
In a letter to Fletcher from yesterday, Israel's permanent representative to the United Nations Danny Danon accused the world organization's deputy secretary-general of "political preaching" and instrumentalizing the word genocide for anti-Israel purposes. The diplomat asked Fletcher who gave him the authority to make such claims, which were clearly perceived by Israel as an accusation.
"You had the audacity, as a high-ranking UN representative, to stand before the Security Council and make accusations of genocide without evidence, without a mandate and without a shred of shame", Danon wrote. "This was a grossly inadequate and irresponsible statement that shattered any pretense of impartiality."
Earlier this week, during a briefing at the UN Security Council, Fletcher, who as UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs is responsible for the provision of humanitarian aid around the world, addressed the members of the Council with the words: – Will you act – with determination – to prevent genocide and ensure compliance with international law?"
According to international law, genocide is the deliberate destruction, in whole or in part, of a group of people on account of their national, ethnic, racial or religious affiliation. This includes committing such acts by killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, or deliberately creating the conditions for physical destruction.
Fletcher sent a letter in response to Danon, in which he wrote: "I firmly and unwaveringly believe in the Charter of the United Nations and it is our duty to act humanely and impartially. And, of course, to report honestly what we observe, in accordance with our mandate."
Israel accuses "Hamas" of stealing aid for the civilian population in Gaza, a group the group denies doing. On March 2, Israel suspended humanitarian aid deliveries to the Palestinian enclave until Hamas released all hostages. On Monday, international organizations warned that half a million people, or about a quarter of the Palestinian enclave's population, were at risk of starvation.
US President Donald Trump also said yesterday that "many people are starving" in Gaza.
Fletcher called on Israel to lift the blockade and pointed out in the letter to Danon that 9,000 trucks - all carrying food - were waiting to enter the enclave's borders, each of which had been granted permission by KOGAT, the Israeli army's humanitarian coordination office, to enter Gaza.
"We have solid plans for distributing aid to civilians, including measures to ensure that supplies are not stolen by Hamas. "During the truce, we showed that we can deliver in large quantities," he wrote. "Please let us work."
Fletcher also appealed for "no time to be wasted" on the US-backed alternative aid plan for Gaza. He said the UN has an approved plan that would see 160,000 pallets of aid enter the enclave immediately.
"To those who propose an alternative way to distribute aid - let's not waste time. We already have a plan," the UN humanitarian chief said.
Meanwhile, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk condemned the Israeli strikes in recent days in Gaza and warned that there could be a risk of "ethnic cleansing", DPA reported.
"The repeated bombings are forcing people to move because of the threat of massive attacks. The methodical destruction of entire neighborhoods and the denial of humanitarian aid show that there is a push for lasting demographic change in Gaza," Turk said.
He stressed that such a development would be "contrary to international law and tantamount to ethnic cleansing".
"We must stop the clock on this madness," Turk added. He stressed that the parties to the conflict must comply with the international convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide.