Martin Griffiths, the United Nations' humanitarian operations chief, described the ongoing six-month Israeli war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip as a "betrayal of humanity" in a statement issued from New York on Saturday, on the eve of the war's six-month anniversary. Griffiths called for a "collective determination to hold accountable those responsible for this betrayal of humanity."
Despite "global outrage," Griffiths noted, "little has been accomplished to end the war, resulting in a significant impunity." He added, "For the residents of Gaza, the six months of war have brought nothing but death, destruction, and the possibility of an imminent famine caused by human actions."
The war erupted on October 7th with an unprecedented attack by Hamas on southern Israel, resulting in 1,170 deaths, mostly civilians, according to a count by the French Press Agency based on official Israeli figures. In response, Israel pledged to "eliminate" Hamas and has since launched a comprehensive bombing campaign and a wide-ranging ground assault, killing 33,137 people, most of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas government. This has led to massive destruction and a severe humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip.
The British official reminded on Saturday that "no one is safe on the ground, and there is nowhere to turn for protection." He expressed that "the six months of war should not only be a moment of remembrance and mourning. This should also lead to a collective response aimed at accountability for this betrayal of humanity."
Two weeks ago, Griffiths announced his resignation as the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the UN "for health reasons," but he will remain in his position until June. In recent months, he has made repeated calls to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, denouncing the actions of the Israeli authorities to prevent this.
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