Humanitarian aid much needed in Gaza while efforts to reach ceasefire continue, UNGA president says

Describing the situation involving embattled Israel and Hamas as “very unusual,” United Nations General Assembly President Dennis Francis said at a National Press Club Headliners event Monday, May 6, that the U.N.’s inability to craft a ceasefire is “not a failure” on its part.

"We have two parties, there's a conflict raging between two parties. One is a sovereign state, Israel, and is a member of the United Nations. The other is a group called Hamas. It's not a state. It is not bound by the U.N. Charter. The U.N., of course, brand is peace and security. That's at the core of what we do," he explained.

Since the war between the two started in October 2023, there has been pressure on the U.N. to urge Israel to end its military posturing in parts of Gaza, but the international organization lacks the authority to do so, Francis said. “The U.N. cannot and may not impose its will on any government."

He added that many "people seem to overlook or forget that the U.N. is not an autonomous, esoteric organization."

But the U.N. is against fighting and wants peace talks in that region, he said.

"We in the U.N. keep asserting that the only way to resolve conflict is through dialogue and negotiation, and violence only breeds more violence. And then nobody wins," Francis said.

South Africa has brought a case against Israel to the U.N's International Court of Justice because it believes Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza as they flee to their only place of refuge: the city of Rafah. 

Francis said any country, under the terms of the U.N. Charter, has the right to seek the international court's impeachment and guidance.

"The court has asked the government of Israel to ensure that its effort takes adequate precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the people of Gaza and to ensure that the humanitarian needs are met," Francis said. "They have not specifically addressed the question raised by the South Africans."

Getting humanitarian aid to Gaza has proven to be a challenge, with a World Central Kitchen vehicle exploding before delivering food to civilians on the ground, as one recent example. It was an unintentional attack, Israel claims. Due to such challenges, the U.S. Defense Department agreed to build a temporary pier for arrival of much-needed food and critical services.

According to Francis, such aid is vital because in Gaza, "babies have been amputated without anesthetics" because the hospitals have run out of medication. "You have kids dying of hunger, on the verge of dying. There's no water, potable water," he added.