Secretary-General condemns killing of hostages, Polio vaccination campaign in Gaza and situation in Lebanon – Highlights of the noon briefing by Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General – 03 September 2024

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Gaza

The Secretary-General has been following very closely the campaign against polio which is now underway in the Gaza Strip. He has been moved by images of young children receiving their vaccinations in the midst of rubble and utter ruin. It is clear to him that the polio pauses are a rare ray of hope and humanity in the cascade of horror that we have seen in Gaza. The Secretary-General commends everyone involved in this polio vaccination campaign, especially the extraordinary humanitarians leading this effort.

This coordinated action is a contrast to what Gaza has endured since the acts of terror unleashed by Hamas in Israel on October 7, Mr. Guterres said. Gaza has become synonymous with relentless bloodshed - most recently the killing of six hostages, which the Secretary-General utterly condemned.

He added that much of the world has come to know more about those hostages through the stories and advocacy of their loved ones.

The Secretary-General reiterates his call for the immediate release of all hostages and an immediate ceasefire.

If the parties can act to protect children from a deadly virus, he said, surely they can and must act to protect children and all innocents from the horrors of war.

Occupied Palestinian Territory

In terms of more details about the polio vaccinations, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that local pauses aim to allow us to reach more than 640,000 children under the age of 10 across the Gaza Strip.

The World Health Organization’s Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said today that around 74,000 children are estimated to have been vaccinated yesterday, on the second day of the campaign. This brings the total number of children vaccinated so far to over 160,000. Dr. Tedros added that day three of the campaign is ongoing.

In parallel to the local pauses, our OCHA colleagues say that Israeli bombardments, ground operations and heavy fighting continue in multiple areas, resulting in further civilian casualties, displacement and destruction of houses and other civilian infrastructure.

Families continue to flee and find themselves in overcrowded areas with inhumane living conditions, which, coupled with the lack of clean water, sanitation facilities and basic hygiene items, contribute to the spread of diseases.

Parties must always respect international humanitarian law. This means that civilians must be protected, and their essential needs – including food, shelter, water and health – must be met, wherever they are in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the UN’s local partners, in collaboration with UNICEF, have been able to repair the main water transmission line running from Israel to Khan Younis, which was damaged during recent military operations. This has led to the partial restoration of water services in several areas, including Al Mawasi.

Water and sanitation in Gaza continues to be dire, with services and the response hampered by the ongoing destruction of water and sanitation facilities, restricted access, and limitations on the entry of essential resources.

With the first rainfall experienced over the past weekend, OCHA warns that over one third of the population is staying in flood-prone areas across Gaza. Local authorities and humanitarian partners are worried of seawater flooding tents along the beach and damage to rainwater and sewage networks resulting in additional flooding. Just today, UNICEF, along with OCHA, UNDP and non-governmental organizations assessed the water, hygiene and sanitation situation in four displacement sites located in flood-prone areas in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah. And this is to help with the preparation for the rainy season.

Moving on to the West Bank, OCHA warns of the continued use of lethal war-like tactics by Israeli forces, including airstrikes, with people being killed, injured, displaced or deprived of access to basic services. Operations have now resumed in Tulkarm, while continuing in Jenin. The UN has recorded more than two dozen fatalities over the past week, including children.

Today, multiple organizations mobilized by OCHA were set to carry out an assessment in Jenin but were denied access by the Israeli authorities. OCHA warns that access impediments are impacting the ability to provide meaningful humanitarian response. You will recall that the movement of ambulances and medical teams has been impeded and delayed since the onset of the now week-long operation.

Middle East

Tor Wennesland, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said after visiting Gaza yesterday that the scale of destruction is immense, the humanitarian needs are colossal and soaring, and civilians continue to bear the brunt of this conflict. He unequivocally condemned the horrifying civilian death toll in Gaza.

During his visit, Mr. Wennesland met with the heads of UN agencies and our dedicated staff working tirelessly in extremely challenging conditions. He said that their commitment and bravery in providing critical support to those in need is truly commendable.

He also visited a polio vaccination centre and welcomed the humanitarian pauses to allow for the vaccination campaigns to take place.

Lebanon

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has confirmed that earlier today, a contractor traveling to provide services to UNIFIL’s Spanish contingent was injured by gunfire near Sarda. Peacekeepers took the individual to the hospital to receive treatment. Regrettably, this is the second such incident in as many days in which a contractor supporting UNIFIL peacekeepers has been injured by gunfire. Furthermore, yesterday a UNIFIL vehicle carrying peacekeepers in the same area was lightly damaged when gunfire hit the ground causing ricocheting stones to hit the vehicle.

We reiterate that all relevant actors must comply with their obligations under international law, including the applicable rules of international humanitarian law, and that civilians must be respected and protected.

The Mission continues to contact the relevant actors on both sides of the Blue Line to de-escalate the situation and call for the safety and security of personnel.

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