This picture taken on December 5, 2023 shows an explosion in Khan Yunis. (Photo by Mohammed ABED / AFP)
United Nations, United States: The UN secretary-general on Wednesday struck a rare and powerful alarm bell in a letter to the Security Council warning that he expects public order "to completely break down soon" in Gaza.
The comments came in a letter written by Antonio Guterres invoking Article 99 of the UN's charter, which states that "the Secretary-General may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security."
While calling for a "humanitarian cease fire," Guterres wrote to the president of the Security Council that the humanitarian conditions amid the war in Gaza are "fast deteriorating into a catastrophe with potentially irreversible implications for Palestinians as a whole."
"Amid constant bombardment by the Israel Defense Forces, and without shelter or the essentials to survive, I expect public order to completely break down soon due to the desperate conditions, rendering even limited humanitarian assistance impossible," he said.
"An even worse situation could unfold, including epidemic diseases and increased pressure for mass displacement into neighboring countries."
The rotating presidency of the Security Council is currently held by Ecuador.
The Secretary-General's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, called the move "very dramatic," noting that Article 99 hadn't been invoked in decades.
"He is invoking one of the few powers that the charter gives him," Dujarric said.
'Impossible' conditions
Guterres, who took office in 2017, also urged the members of the Security Council to "press to avert a humanitarian catastrophe."
"The health care system in Gaza is collapsing," he said, adding that "there is no effective protection of civilians."
"The current conditions are making it impossible for meaningful humanitarian operations to be conducted," the letter said, adding that "nowhere is safe in Gaza."
Guterres denounced the attacks on Wednesday as "abhorrent acts of terror."
The situation threatens "peace and security in the region," Guterres said.
"With a humanitarian ceasefire, the means of survival can be restored, and humanitarian assistance can be delivered in a safe and timely manner across the Gaza Strip."
"The international community has a responsibility to use all its influence to prevent further escalation and end this crisis," he said.
In mid-November, after four rejected draft texts, the heavily divided Security Council called for "extended humanitarian pauses" in the Gaza Strip, in what was the first time it broke its silence on the bloody conflict.
