UN Security Council Under Fire as Gaza Bloodshed Continues Amid Deadlock

The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, warned Tuesday that the world is witnessing “one of the darkest chapters of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” with violence deepening across the Occupied Territories nearly two years.

After the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7 and Israel’s military response. He said the crisis in Gaza City has created a catastrophic humanitarian emergency. “Famine is a reality, with the population constantly forced to move and being starved,” Guterres told the UN Security Council. He described the situation as “untenable, morally and legally indefensible,” adding that violence is spreading from Gaza to the West Bank and other countries in the region, including Qatar.

Guterres noted that efforts to broker a ceasefire and secure hostage releases, led by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, suffered a setback on Sept. 9 after an Israeli attack on Doha, calling it a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and a threat to diplomatic norms.

He warned that the viability of a two-state solution is “steadily eroding,” with settlement expansion, forced displacement, and cycles of deadly violence pushing the region to the brink. He criticized Israel’s approval of settlements in the E1 area, calling them a “flagrant violation of international law” that could sever a future Palestinian state.

The Palestinian Authority is facing an existential crisis, Guterres said, citing withheld tax revenues, a collapsed economy, and declining donor aid, leaving the PA unable to pay salaries or provide basic services. He urged immediate international support to stabilize the PA and maintain it as a viable partner for peace.

Saudi Arabia’s UN ambassador, Abdulaziz Alwasil, described Gaza as “a catastrophic situation deteriorating day by day” and criticized the international community for failing to hold Israel accountable. Slovenia’s Foreign Minister Tanya Fajon said Gaza has become “the deadliest place for children, humanitarian workers, and journalists” and called it “a textbook example of the international community’s failure.”

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen stressed the need for Israel to change course and for the Security Council to act collectively, lamenting the US veto of a ceasefire resolution. UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper highlighted Britain’s recognition of Palestine as essential to preserving the two-state solution.

US Ambassador Mike Waltz demanded that Hamas release hostages, cease targeting civilians, and disarm, while criticizing the Palestinian Authority for failing to meet basic Oslo commitments, saying unilateral statehood efforts only reward Hamas for refusing to surrender.