STORY
In a forceful address to the UN Security Council today, the UK’s Permanent Representative, Dame Barbara Woodward, urged Israel to immediately lift its blockade on humanitarian aid to Gaza, warning that “the whole of Gaza is at risk of famine” and condemning the “cruel and inexcusable” rotting of vital supplies at the border. Highlighting World Food Programme alerts that “they have no food left” and IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) data showing famine risk, Dame Barbara called on Israel to “allow the rapid and unimpeded provision of humanitarian aid to all civilians”, stressing that continued obstruction “risks further deaths that should be avoidable”.
She outlined three urgent demands: first, that Israel remove its aid blockade; second, that any aid mechanism must remain free of political or military objectives and adhere to humanitarian principles; and third, that Israel release findings and take concrete measures following the killing of Palestinian Red Crescent workers and the strike on a UNOPS compound in March.
Dame Barbara welcomed the recent release of Edan Alexander after 17 months in Hamas captivity as “a rare moment of hope”, but warned that attention must not wane for the remaining hostages. “It is ceasefire deals that have delivered the release of over 180 hostages and allowed a massive scale-up of aid for desperate Palestinians”, she said, urging political will to secure a comprehensive ceasefire that could also “achieve a pathway to a two-state solution”. Co-sponsored by Denmark, France, Greece and Slovenia, the UK-led meeting underscored growing international alarm at Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. The UK reiterated its firm opposition to any expansion of the conflict, aligning with many hostages’ families in calling for an immediate and durable ceasefire to end civilian suffering.