UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo at Tuesday evening's Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza. (Credit: Screenshot of the live UN broadcast on X)
The Security Council met Tuesday evening at Algeria’s request, with support from Slovenia, to address the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The session focused on the recent Israeli airstrike on the al-Tabieen school in Gaza City, which Gaza Civil Defense estimates left at least 92 people dead, mostly displaced individuals.
The UN described the strikes as "devastating," according to a statement by Rosemary DiCarlo, the U.N. Deputy Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Peacebuilding.
Lisa Doughten, Director of Funding and Partnerships at the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), noted that this was "not an isolated incident but the twenty-first Israeli strike on a school serving as a shelter since July 4." She asked, "How long can such a situation last? How many more tragedies like the al-Tabieen school will occur before action is taken?"
Although Israel claimed that its military targeted a Hamas command center located in a mosque within the school, DiCarlo emphasized that international humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution, must be upheld at all times and in all places.
"The massacre, destruction, and suffering in Gaza must end, and hostages must be reunited with their families," DiCarlo said. She added, "This once again underscores the urgent need to achieve a cease-fire, release the hostages, and increase humanitarian aid."
DiCarlo also warned that without a clear path toward a future where the legitimate security concerns of Israelis are addressed and the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians for a fully independent and viable state are realized, lasting peace in the Middle East will remain elusive.
The conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas has been ongoing for nearly 11 months. According to data from Gaza's health ministry, the Israeli offensive has resulted in at least 39,929 deaths, mostly civilians. An AFP tally based on official Israeli data reports that the Oct.7 Hamas attack killed 1,198 people, also mostly civilians.
Palestinian Ambassador to the U.N., Riyad Mansour, has urged the Security Council to impose sanctions on Israel due to its continued attacks on civilians in Gaza.
The Israeli representative accused the Council of supporting "terrorists" who "use a school as a base" and highlighted the 12 deaths from the strike on Majdal Shams, a Druze town in the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
Israel attributed the July 27 strike to Hezbollah, which vehemently denies involvement and instead blames an Israeli interceptor missile for the killings. The incident marked the start of the latest escalation in tensions between Israel, Iran and Hezbollah.
Moreover, Israel retaliated by striking Beirut's southern suburbs and killing Hezbollah's military commander, alongside five civilians, including children on July 31. A few hours later, Hamas' leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran. Iran blamed Israel for the assassination on its soil and vowed "punishment" for Israel. The latter did not comment on Haniyeh's death.
