As MPs in the mother of Parliaments scuppered any decent debate and vote on a ceasefire in Gaza with manoeuvrings by Kier Starmer to save face in the Labour party, Shetland Islands Council did have a debate and voted for a ceasefire.
The USA again used its veto at the UN Security Council with the UK abstaining.
The USA and the UK’s actions took place despite the reports from Tor Wennesland, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, who told ambassadors that “there is still no end in sight” as the war approaches its 140-day mark.
“No end to the trauma of those impacted by the horrors unleashed on 7 October. No end to the suffering and desperation the people in Gaza. No end to the regional turmoil.”
He described the humanitarian situation there as shocking, unsustainable and desperate.
Starved of funds, the UN agency serving Palestine refugees (UNRWA) has reached breaking point with Israel calling for calls for its abolition.
The suspension of aid by 16 donor countries (including the UK) totalling $450 million means that without new funding UNRWA operations across the Middle East will be severely compromised from March. It followed allegations by Israel that 12 UNRWA staffers had been involved in the horrific October 7th attacks, however, no evidence has been brought forward to prove that.
Tor Wennesland said that the situation was spiralling out of control. In addition to a ceasefire he called for a time-bound political framework to end the occupation and negotiate a two-State solution.
“These efforts must coalesce and accelerate if we are to emerge from this nightmare into a trajectory that can provide Palestinians and Israelis with the chance of lasting peace.”
Christopher Lockyear, Secretary General, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders said he was “appalled” by the United States’ repeated use of its veto power to obstruct efforts to adopt the most evident of resolutions: one demanding an immediate ceasefire.
“We live in fear of a ground invasion” in Rafah, he said. “Attacks on healthcare are attacks on humanity,” he added, noting that while Israel claims Hamas is operating in hospitals, “we have seen zero independently verified evidence of this.”
Since 7 October, MSF has been forced to evacuate nine health facilities, and medical teams have added a new acronym to their vocabulary – “W.C.N.S.F., Wounded Child, No Surviving Family”.
More than 3/4s of Gaza’s population has been displaced, often many times. An international consortium of aid agencies issued a joint statement “Diseases are rampant. Famine is looming. Water is at a trickle. Basic infrastructure has been decimated. Food production has come to a halt. Hospitals have turned into battlefields. One million children face daily traumas.” Statement by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee – Civilians in Gaza in extreme peril while the world watches on: Ten requirements to avoid an even worse catastrophe
“We are calling on Israel to fulfil its legal obligation, under international humanitarian and human rights law, to provide food and medical supplies and facilitate aid operations, and on the world’s leaders to prevent an even worse catastrophe from happening.”
In Orkney, Shetland, and across Scotland, demonstrations will be held in support of the people of Gaza, and calling for an immediate ceasefire. The Orkney Vigil will take place on the steps of St Magnus Cathedral between 1 and 2 pm on Saturday 24th of February.
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Fiona Grahame
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