{"id":310835,"date":"2025-08-27T12:22:02","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T16:22:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=310835"},"modified":"2025-10-03T23:04:45","modified_gmt":"2025-10-04T03:04:45","slug":"security-council-press-release-27aug25","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/security-council-press-release-27aug25\/","title":{"rendered":"Gaza\u2019s Population Systematically Being Starved to Death, Speakers Warn Security Council, Demanding Immediate Ceasefire, End to Deliberate Famine"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

27 August 2025<\/p>\n

9987th Meeting (AM)<\/p>\n

The situation in Gaza is catastrophic, with the worst-case scenario of famine now officially declared and Israel using starvation as a method of war \u201cin its starkest terms\u201d, speakers warned the Security Council today, among them the head of Save the Children International, who implored, Gaza\u2019s \u201cchildren have reached their breaking point. \u00a0Where is yours?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToday the world looks on in horror as the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory continues to deteriorate to levels not seen in recent history,\u201d said Ramiz Alakbarov, United Nations Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Twenty-two months into the hostilities, Gaza faces \u201crapidly mounting civilian casualties, mass displacement, and, now, famine\u201d, he said.\u00a0Moreover, hostages remain in \u201cappalling conditions\u201d, while the West Bank is gripped by \u201crelentless expansion of settlements, demolitions, and intensifying violence\u201d.<\/p>\n

Since 23\u00a0July, \u201cat least 2,553 Palestinians were killed,\u201d including 271 while trying to collect aid.\u00a0Journalists are also under assault; 240 have been killed, including six during a 10\u00a0August strike. \u00a0And on 25\u00a0August, an Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital killed 20\u00a0civilians.\u00a0 \u201cI reiterate the Secretary-General\u2019s call for an independent and impartial investigation,\u201d Mr.\u00a0Alakbarov stressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnding famine is a race against time,\u201d requiring restoration of \u201cwater, sanitation, health services, and food production\u201d, he continued.\u00a0Israeli steps such as limited pauses and expanded supply approvals are \u201cnowhere near sufficient\u201d, he said, adding: \u00a0\u201cAll parties must allow rapid, safe, unimpeded, and large-scale delivery of humanitarian aid\u201d.<\/p>\n

On hostages, he said that 50 remain in captivity and their ill-treatment and abuse constitute a blatant violation of international law.\u00a0 Turning to the West Bank, he said that Government approvals for 3,400 housing units threaten the possibility of a viable and contiguous Palestinian State.<\/p>\n

Over 500,000 People in Gaza Face Starvation, Destitution, Death\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cOn 22 August, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Famine Review Committee confirmed that famine is now occurring in Gaza,\u201d Joyce Msuya, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, told the Council<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Over half a million people currently face starvation, destitution and death,\u201d with projections of 640,000 within weeks, she added. \u00a0At least 132,000 children under the age of five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition, with over 43,000 at risk of death. \u00a0For pregnant and breastfeeding women, numbers are surging from 17,000 to 55,000.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a created catastrophe,\u201d she went on, citing 22 months of restricted aid, destroyed cropland and decimated livestock.\u00a0Overcrowding and collapsed water and sanitation systems have also \u201cturned menstrual hygiene into a nightmare for women and girls\u201d.<\/p>\n

International law, she reminded, \u201cprohibits the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare\u201d.\u00a0 Turning to the West Bank, she echoed Mr.\u00a0Alakbarov\u2019s warning that \u201csettler violence, and discriminatory policies\u201d threaten 18 Bedouin communities with displacement.<\/p>\n

Emaciated Children in Gaza Clinics Lack Strength to Even Speak\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cAs we speak children in Gaza are systematically being starved to death,\u201d said Inger Ashing, Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children International. \u00a0The Gaza famine is a deliberate policy \u2014 engineered and manmade \u2014 in which Israel is using \u201cstarvation as a method of war in its starkest terms\u201d.<\/p>\n

Clinics are \u201calmost silent now\u201d, filled with emaciated children who \u201cdo not have the strength to speak or even cry out in agony\u201d, she said.\u00a0 Supplies lie blocked at the border \u2014 \u201cthousands upon thousands of truckloads of lifesaving items\u201d.\u00a0 \u00a0Increasingly, children \u201cwish for food, for bread\u201d, and some wish \u201cto be dead\u201d, with one child writing: \u00a0\u201cI wish I was in heaven where my mother is, in heaven there is love, there is food and water\u201d.<\/p>\n

Ms. Ashing stressed that famine is \u201cthe predictable result of a policy of a sustained siege on food, medicine and fuel\u201d, echoing Ms.\u00a0Msuya\u2019s assessment that at least 132,000 children under five are at risk of acute malnutrition \u2014 twice the number in May\u00a02025.\u00a0 \u201cThis is the predictable result of obstruction\u201d, as non-governmental organizations face rejected requests and new registration rules that are \u201cunlawful, unsafe, and incompatible with humanitarian principles\u201d.\u00a0 Gazan families are also now calling militarized food distribution points \u201cthe jaws of death\u201d, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPalestinian children are the only ones in the world systematically prosecuted in military courts,\u201d she pointed out.\u00a0 They report abuse and starvation while in custody. \u00a0For almost two years, the international community has failed to protect Palestinian children \u2014 who are now at their breaking point. \u00a0\u201cWhere is yours?\u201d she asked Council members.<\/p>\n

Released Hostage Recounts Abuse in Captivity\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Ilana Gritzewsky, held in captivity in Gaza for 55 days, spoke to the Council next, saying: \u00a0\u201cI was born in Mexico to a Jewish family deeply connected to Israel\u201d.\u00a0 Ms.\u00a0Gritzewsky had moved to Israel and lived with her partner, Matan, in Kibbutz Nir Oz.\u00a0 On 7\u00a0October\u00a02023 \u201cthat life was destroyed\u201d when \u201cterrorists stormed our home; Matan held the door as we hid, but they broke in\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was dragged away, beaten, humiliated, and taken to Gaza,\u201d she recalled. For 55 days she endured captivity. \u00a0\u201cI suffered broken bones, constant abuse, starvation.\u00a0 We were given scraps of food while our captors ate full meals.\u00a0 We were moved from house to house, then to tunnels,\u201d she told Council Members.\u00a0There she discovered that Matan had also been captured.<\/p>\n

Released after several weeks, Ms.\u00a0Gritzewsky said she carries deep scars.\u00a0 \u201cTrauma doesn\u2019t vanish once you are released,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

With Matan still in Gaza, she urged the Council: \u00a0Use your power to demand the unconditional release of every hostage now.\u00a0\u201cOnly then can we begin to heal and believe again in the values this Council was created to uphold,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Palestine Ready to Work with Global Partners on Post-Ceasefire Arrangements<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Observer for the State of Palestine said famine, now declared in Gaza City, is rapidly engulfing the entire Gaza Strip and \u201ceating away at infants and children\u201d. \u00a0He condemned the strike on Nasser Hospital as \u201cpremeditated\u201d, targeting medics and journalists who had rushed to assist after the initial attack \u2014 calling it part of a broader plan to displace the Palestinian people and seize their land.<\/p>\n

Emphasizing that \u201cthe only path to a peaceful, stable, and secure future goes through Palestine\u201d, he reaffirmed Palestine\u2019s readiness to work with the United States, Saudi Arabia, France, and other international and regional partners to ensure post-ceasefire arrangements address all legitimate concerns in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions.\u00a0\u201cPalestine will not disappear. \u00a0Israel will not disappear. \u00a0No one can kill their way to peace,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n

Alarm Over Famine, Israel\u2019s Expansion of Military Operations in Gaza<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Amid the official declaration of famine in Gaza, many speakers sounded the alarm over Israel\u2019s expansion of military operations in the Strip.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe famine that we have all feared is now a confirmed fact in Gaza City, and it is expected to affect more areas by September,\u201d said Denmark\u2019s delegate, urging Israel to immediately change course and allow immediate, large-scale, unobstructed multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver 100 children in Gaza have died of malnutrition, while food is sitting at Gaza\u2019s borders,\u201d said the United Kingdom\u2019s delegate.\u00a0Somalia\u2019s delegate added that \u201centire families are starving in full view of this Council\u201d, despite the presence of an international humanitarian system that could save them if \u201conly they were allowed to act\u201d.<\/p>\n

Picking up that thread, Greece\u2019s delegate noted that her country, in coordination with the European Union, Jordan, and other regional partners, had recently conducted an airdrop of food supplies over Gaza. \u00a0She also welcomed the resumption of the Cyprus corridor, a critical component of the humanitarian pipeline, expressing hope it would accelerate the delivery of aid.<\/p>\n

Condemnation of Attack on Nasser Hospital<\/strong><\/h3>\n

China\u2019s delegate reiterated that \u201cviolence cannot bring security\u201d, citing the attack on Nasser Hospital as \u201cyet another horrendous tragedy\u201d. \u00a0He condemned the weaponization of humanitarian aid and the militarization of its distribution, urging Israel to fulfil its obligations as the occupying Power by opening all border crossings and fully restoring humanitarian access.<\/p>\n

The representative of the Russian Federation concurred, noting that during the Nasser Hospital attack, \u201ca cynical double-tap strike was used when rescue workers arrived\u201d. \u00a0He further warned against the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which he described as \u201ca pseudo-humanitarian structure\u201d, pointing out that since it began operating in May\u00a02025, 1,800 Palestinians have died while trying to obtain assistance.<\/p>\n

The representative of Panama, Council President for the month, spoke in his national capacity to denounce the double strike at Nasser Hospital as \u201ca dual direct affront on human dignity and international law\u201d.<\/p>\n

France\u2019s delegate added that such operations will \u201cin no way\u201d ensure Israel\u2019s security\u201d, while firmly rejecting all forced displacement of civilians in Gaza.<\/p>\n

Pattern of Targeting Medical Staff, Journalists<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Numerous Council members stressed that the attack at the Nasser Hospital formed part of a repeated pattern of strikes and the incessant killing of civilians, medical staff and journalists.<\/p>\n

With each Council\u2019s convening to address the Gaza conflict, \u201cwe are confronted with new depths of suffering\u201d, said Sierra Leone\u2019s representative.\u00a0 What is unfolding in Gaza, he stressed, constitutes not only a systematic pattern of atrocity crimes but also \u201ca systematic assault on truth itself\u201d. \u00a0The Secretary-General has been vilified simply for speaking the truth. \u00a0The UN and its agencies have faced baseless accusations, journalists and media workers have paid with their lives in unprecedented numbers, and medical personnel have been attacked in clearly marked facilities and ambulances, with independent experts describing it as \u201ca war on healthcare\u201d.<\/p>\n

Guyana\u2019s delegate voiced concern over the fate of professionals in Gaza, highlighting that doctors and other medical staff lack access to Israeli visas, while many have been killed or injured in hospital attacks.<\/p>\n

Calling for full accountability, the Republic of Korea\u2019s representative urged transparent, independent investigations into all possible violations of international humanitarian law.\u00a0 \u201cA mere inquiry is not enough\u201d, he stressed, noting that \u201ca series of investigations\u201d has yielded \u201cno concrete measures\u201d since the war began.<\/p>\n

Council Must Act, Ensure Accountability<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cThe suffering in Gaza has reached a level of barbarity that defies imagination,\u201d said Algeria\u2019s delegate, asking:\u00a0 \u201cWill this Council persist as a theatre of lamentation, endlessly echoing speeches while Gaza burns for lack of action?\u201d<\/p>\n

Warning that each day of inaction risks making the Council \u201ccomplicit in the suffering that continues to unfold\u201d, Slovenia\u2019s representative similarly questioned: \u00a0\u201cWhat military necessity can justify the killing of a journalist, a doctor, a humanitarian worker?\u201d<\/p>\n

Describing the deliberate destruction of civilian life in Gaza as \u201cmass carnage\u201d, Pakistan\u2019s delegate recalled that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation recently adopted a resolution urging the Council, with \u201cmoral clarity\u201d, to act under Chapter VII to halt the aggression and violations by the Israeli occupation.<\/p>\n

Credibility of Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Report<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While recognizing that \u201chunger is a real issue in Gaza\u201d, the United States\u2019 representative questioned the credibility of the recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report.\u00a0 The international community has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into Gaza over the years, while turning a blind eye to the fact that it was facilitating Hamas\u2019 creation of a terrorist stronghold. \u00a0The Israel Defense Forces concluded that six Hamas members were killed when it struck the site \u201cHamas was using to monitor troops at the hospital\u201d, she added.<\/p>\n

Addressing Ilana Gritzewsky, Israel\u2019s representative said: \u00a0\u201cYou are the living reminder of the unbearable suffering still endured by the hostages.\u201d\u00a0He noted that the recent report on sexual violence in armed conflict confirmed Hamas\u2019 use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, stressing that \u201csurvivors deserve action, not doubt\u201d and urging the Council to blacklist Hamas and formally designate it as a terrorist organization.<\/p>\n

On the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification\u2019s \u201cfabricated report\u201d, he said it \u201clowered its own threshold to manufacture the so-called famine\u201d, employing flawed methods while disregarding broader data that did not support its findings.\u00a0 He further pointed out that across its 50 pages, \u201cthe word Hamas is not mentioned once\u201d.<\/p>\n

Amid what he called \u201cempty UN statements\u201d and \u201cmeaningless summits\u201d, he said \u201cyou leave the real work for us\u201d, reiterating Israel\u2019s commitment to \u201cdismantle Hamas\u2019 war machine\u201d.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

More documents from the same Security Council meeting:<\/em><\/p>\n