The conflict that began on October 7 has not only displaced Hala, a mother of four and humanitarian worker from Gaza, but has also resulted in over 22,000 casualties, nearly 2 million displacements.

The Secretary-General’s vision for centering the Organization’s work on peace and security around prevention and through a surge in diplomacy for peace reaffirms the United Nations' founding mission. Since its inception, the UN has played a crucial role in helping to mediate conflicts at all stages: before they escalate into armed conflict, after the outbreak of violence, and during the implementation of peace agreements. UN peacemaking flourished in the decade following the end of the Cold War and the Organization continues to play a preeminent role in this field.

As hostilities in Gaza reached the grim milestone of 100 days, the UN reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of hostages. In the aftermath of the attack on Israel last October that left 1,200 dead, Israel started a military response that has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians so far - two-thirds of them women and children. The UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council have passed resolutions demanding immediate and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance, and the UN Secretary-General has vowed not to give up on his calls for a humanitarian ceasefire, and has expressed grave concerns about the conflict spilling over and destabilizing the entire region.

Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip continue, causing significant Palestinian casualties and widespread devastation. Overwhelmed hospitals are struggling with shortages; evacuation mandates have uprooted more than a million residents, leaving humanitarian organizations unable to provide vital assistance amid escalating food insecurity, restricted distribution channels, and mounting water and sanitation challenges. At the same time, violence continues in the West Bank, where escalating Israeli military actions and settler attacks contribute to numerous Palestinian casualties.

The people of Gaza are in the midst of an epic humanitarian catastrophe. UNWOMEN offers a snapshot of how women and girls in Gaza have endured attacks and displacement. 

In all wars, it is children who suffer first and suffer most.

Bearing witness, James Elder gives a firsthand account of the impact of the war on children and families. Read the UNICEF blogpost here

Civilians are dying while the world watches and families are being displaced en masse. UNRWA is calling for immediate access to humanitarian aid and urgent funding for Palestine Refugees.

Thousands of children have been killed and even more injured across the Gaza Strip, since the beginning of Israel’s offensive against Hamas. Children are still being held hostage. Their basic rights to life and health are being denied, day after day. The loss and trauma they are experiencing will be borne out for generations to come. Children bear no responsibility for war, but they suffer its deepest scars. And they pay the highest price. These are the voices of children in Gaza. To respond to the situation for children in Israel and the State of Palestine, UNICEF is calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the immediate, safe and unconditional release of all abducted children and the prevention and end to any grave violations against children, including killing and injuring.

The United Nations Secretary-General ramped up appeals for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza after spikes in civilian casualties and attacks on UNRWA schools and shelters. António Guterres also welcomed the agreement to release hostages in Gaza. The UN facilitated the entry of aid and fuel into Gaza and sent a WHO-led humanitarian assessment team to Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza to assess the situation on the ground. According to the UN agency, Gaza now houses thousands of injured and critically ill people. Women and children are bearing the brunt of the hostilities' escalation.

Dr. Hijazi narrates about the horrific situation for pregnant women in Gaza, where 180 births a day are taking place amid relentless bombardment.

International scientific collaboration is essential, not only for knowledge but also for fostering peace. The International Week of Science and Peace, observed every November, during the week of the 11th, plays a pivotal role in promoting peace. It facilitates academic exchanges on universally significant topics, increasing public awareness of the close relationship between scientific advances and achieving peace in society, emphasizing that in order to achieve one, it’s necessary to invest in the other.

Lt. Esinam Baah takes us through her trials and triumps as a woman peacekeeper with United Nations in Lebanon. She is one of 173 women deploying to UNIFIL as part of Ghana's military contingent. 

With bombs raining down on hospitals and United Nations shelters, the people of #Gaza have nowhere safe to go. In Gaza, 50,000 women are currently pregnant. Almost 160 women will give birth every day amid the violence. UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. 

The United Nations has played a significant role in addressing the enduring conflict between Israel and Palestine, and has been actively involved in seeking a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Over the years, the UN has facilitated peace talks, provided humanitarian aid, and supported initiatives aimed at fostering understanding and reconciliation between the two parties. UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced grave concern over the on-going escalating conflict in Israel and Gaza, and stressed the need to prevent the violence from spreading into the wider region.

The UN Secretary-General urges “to end this vicious circle of bloodshed, hatred and polarization,” and warns against “irreversible action that would embolden extremists and doom any prospects for lasting peace.”