Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General (excerpt)

 

25 June 2024

(Excerpt)

 

 

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

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**Middle East

Back here, Tor Wennesland, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefed the Security Council via videoconference this morning, and he said that the ongoing hostilities in Gaza are further fuelling regional instability.

He said that there must be an immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire — that there is a deal on the table, and it should be agreed.

Today’s briefing covers events happening up until 10 June.

He said that effective mechanisms for humanitarian notification, safe conditions for humanitarian operations, and sufficient access to humanitarian needs remain sorely lacking and must be put in place without delay.  The UN, he said, welcomes the opportunity to clarify with the IDF on how the current situation can be improved.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

And speaking of the situation on the ground, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that access constraints, security concerns, and the breakdown of public order and safety continue to hamper the delivery of essential humanitarian assistance, affecting hundreds of thousands of people in need.

OCHA also flags that persistent fuel shortages continue to hinder aid operations and the functioning of critical water, sanitation, health and other facilities in the Gaza Strip.  Since the beginning of this year, the amount of diesel and benzene fuel entering Gaza on a monthly basis is just 14 per cent of levels prior to October 2023 — that’s 2 million litres compared to the 14 million litres that used to enter Gaza during that time frame.

Just one example of the impact of these shortages was Sunday’s announcement by the Director of the Kuwait Field Hospital in Khan Younis that its main electricity generator had stopped functioning, due to the lack of fuel, and that the facility was now relying on a secondary generator to maintain operations.

Our health partners report that given the critical situation in Gaza, their focus continues to be on life-saving and limb-saving operations.  However, there are currently no conditions in place to bring in prostheses or deploy special medical teams to assist amputees — many of whom are children and adolescents.

Meanwhile, UNRWA — the UN Relief and Works Agency — said that a school in northern Gaza was hit last night, reportedly killing 12 people and injuring 22 others.

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**Questions and Answers

Spokesman:  Edie?

Question:  Thank you, Steph.  First, the Associated Press is reporting that senior UN officials told Israel they will suspend aid operations across Gaza unless urgent steps are taken to better protect humanitarian workers.  Can you confirm that and say what the Israeli response has been?

Spokesman:  I’m not going to confirm all sorts of leaks and references to letters. What I can tell you is that we are in regular contact with the Israeli authorities to underscore the urgency of having the following things that we need.  One is an effective coordination and deconfliction system for operations across Gaza, permissions for essential security equipment commensurate with the risks of working in a war zone, and for the Israeli army to commit to its responsibilities to facilitate humanitarian assistance and to protect humanitarian staff and installations.  Let me just correct what I said right at the beginning.  I will confirm to you that there was a letter on 17 June addressed from our Humanitarian Coordinator, Muhannad Hadi, to COGAT, which is our main point of contact.  And further contacts were had yesterday between COGAT and our Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security, Gilles Michaud.  And I think it’s important to make not just a step back, but to reiterate what exactly are the challenges that we’re facing in Gaza.  As you know, humanitarians, humanitarian operations have repeatedly been in the crosshairs in Gaza.  And I think you know the number of humanitarian workers that have been killed. We’ve repeatedly talked about humanitarian convoys shot at and notably last Friday, we’ve talked about areas that were deconflicted, that were hit, hospitals, shelters and so on.  And the risks, frankly, are becoming increasingly intolerable.  While we keep at the forefront of our work, of our planning, the need to support the millions of Palestinian civilians, who depend on humanitarian aid to survive, every day we assess the situation and look and how we can operate safely, both for our own staff, but really, most importantly for those who are receiving the aid, right?  We continue to deliver aid in an opportunistic manner.  And every day, we try to do more, but every day we need to grab whatever opportunities we can while continuing to operate in a conflict zone.

Question:  Can I follow that up with… At today’s Security Council meeting, Israel again blamed the United Nations for the failure to deliver humanitarian aid, saying trucks were getting in and the United Nations was not delivering the food to the people in need.

Spokesman:  We’ve seen these accusations over and over again.  We keep trying to pick up the aid from the crossings, from the pier.  There are risks that are unacceptable.  And despite those risks — and you’ve heard first-hand from our humanitarian colleagues on the ground — they are so dedicated to their work.  They are so dedicated to helping the civilians in Gaza to get aid.  They’re doing it in an active conflict zone.  The way forward is not a mystery, right?  It’s on the table, it’s a humanitarian ceasefire.  It’s the free and unhindered flow of humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip.  It’s the immediate and unconditional release of all the hostages.  The solution exists.  But I think to blame those who are trying to help, who are there in Gaza without guns, without real security, to me is a bit far-fetched.  Madame?

Question:  Just a quick follow-up.  So, was there a response from Israel?  And what sort of response was it, if it existed?

Spokesman:  Listen, I think you should ask… I can only speak for us because it’s not for me to speak for the Israelis.  This has been an ongoing dialogue.  If there had been a great improvement in the situation, I think we would know it.

Question:  And according to the story there was…

Spokesman:  Your microphone.

Question:  There’s no final decision yet, but how would that, I mean, given what we heard today from the experts after the IPC report, if this operation is suspended, how would that actually affect the situation in Gaza?  [cross talk]

Spokesman:  I’m not talking about suspending operations.  What I’m saying is that every day we assess the situation, how best to move forward.  Sherwin, then Mike.

Question:  Steph, just following up on that.  Is the implication being read from maybe what the DPR (Deputy Permanent Representative) in the Security Council said today, is the implication that the UN should provide its own security for the effective distribution of that aid?  Because otherwise it’s just a blame game.  What’s the next step here?  Should the UN take… [cross talk]

Spokesman:  Listen, it’s not a game.  It’s about us operating under humanitarian principles of independence, of impartiality where we operate around the world.  We operate in other war zones, right?  We’re continuing to operate under great challenges in Sudan, where you have two generals who are using… you have two generals who have put aside the best needs of their people.  And we are also trying to deliver humanitarian aid there.  Humanitarians do not operate under armed escort.  The best protection for humanitarians is that the community protects them and that those who are doing the shooting stop shooting at them.  Mike?  Do you have a question?

Correspondent:  I am not done.

Spokesman:  Who’s in control here?

Correspondent:  Okay.  Fine, carry on.  I’ll be collegial to a colleague.

Spokesman:  Sorry.  Fine, fine, fine.  Go ahead. Go ahead, Sherwin.  I don’t want…

Question:  So, just changing tack a little.  The lawsuit filed in Manhattan Federal Court by, in part, many survivors of the 7 October attack against UNRWA.  We heard what the Commissioner-General of UNRWA said, that this is part of a broad onslaught against the Agency.  Is that the view the Secretary-General has thought?

Spokesman:  I have no particular comment on a suit that we haven’t officially seen.  I think I just want to step back and say that I think UNRWA has cracked itself open to those who want to know how it operates, right?  There have been independent investigations.  The OIOS (Office of Internal Oversight Services) thing is still going on.  They talk to their donors all the time.  UNRWA, I think, is clear and has clearly shown it is willing to do whatever it takes to reassure its donors.

Question:  Part of the allegations, Steph, is that UNRWA employees aided and abetted Hamas’ attack on 7 October, that UNRWA employees turned a blind eye to the construction of tunnels.

Spokesman:  Look, I mean, who… let me…

Question:  But my question is this.  There has been a six-month investigation by the Office of Internal Oversight Services into the allegations made against several employees.  The UN has fired these employees without due process.  This investigation continues to drag on.  Is it not important that they wrap up their investigation and make their findings known?

Spokesman:  It is important that whatever investigation is done, be credible. These things take time.  Again, they’re operating in a conflict zone.  But let me remind you who first raised the issue of accusations against UNRWA employees regarding 7 October.  It was UNRWA itself, right?  Mike, would you like to have a question?

Question:  I’m trying to dispel this notion that Israelis are rude.  You know, I’m doing my part here.  So, there was much ado in this briefing room yesterday about information integrity.  So, I had two questions along that line.  The UNRWA humanitarian dashboard was shut down last week.  And now you need permission, access granted to view it.  Lately, there’s been data before it got shut down showing massive amounts of aid being looted on 15 June and 18 June. And then it was taken down after that. Hamas has a documented history when there’s not good news, of getting UNRWA to get rid of it and UNRWA acquiescing. So, I’m asking why that humanitarian dashboard was taken offline and whether it will be put back up in the interest of information integrity?

Spokesman:  Short answer is I don’t know, but I will ask our UNRWA colleagues about the dashboard, so I will find out.  But I think we have been as transparent and open from here about the challenges and about when food has gone missing and so forth.  But let me follow up on your specific question.

Question:  Who’s looting the aid?

Spokesman:  What?

Question:  Who’s looting the aid?

Spokesman:  Well, we’ve had issues of what we called self-distribution, where aid was taken at a checkpoint by people who were clearly hungry.  There have been activities by criminal gangs, as well, and I think we’ve talked about these things.

Question:  A follow-up question if I may.

Spokesman:  You may.

Question:  Thank you very much.  Another information integrity question.  I asked this question in the briefing room several weeks ago when there was a split between data that OCHA was releasing via Hamas about identified fatalities and casualties and unidentified fatalities and casualties.  There was a split in a way that the data was distributed in late April, early May.  Since that point, OCHA via Hamas has continued to update…

Spokesman:  I don’t understand what the “OCHA via Hamas”.

Correspondent:  Well, Hamas provides the information to OCHA.  OCHA…

Spokesman:  No, no, no.  Let’s be clear.  The health ministry in Gaza provides information publicly, right, which many journalists use, as well.  We also use it.  It’s not as if Hamas is providing information through OCHA.  So…

Question:  The source of the information.  Okay.  In any case, OCHA started identifying identified and unidentified casualties.  Since that point, though, the numbers of fatalities have gone up, but the identified fatalities have stayed exactly the same. There’s been no increase in identified fatalities since 30 April.  So, my question is, because we pointed out at the time, the unreliability of those numbers, why have those numbers not been updated since 30 April?  Obviously, there have been additional fatalities they’ve had.

Spokesman:  I don’t think they haven’t had the data that they need to update the information.  As we said in Gaza, we’re not able to do that work ourselves.  We’ve been relying, as have many others, on the numbers provided by the health ministry run by the de facto authorities.  We have said this over and over again that we have found in the past for those numbers to be generally reliable.  This conflict would end at some point, right?  At some point, we have a much clearer picture of the fatalities and then people can run, can assess and make a judgment on whether or not the figures were reliable.  Abdelhamid, and then we’ll go to the far left.

Correspondent:  Thank you.

Spokesman:  Far left for me, yeah.

Correspondent:  Sherwin took one of my questions about UNRWA.

Spokesman:  Sherwin didn’t take your… He just had the same idea.  Yeah.

Question:  But I always wonder why Mr. Wennesland puts the release of hostages first before ceasefire.  He’s the only UN senior officials, including the SG yesterday — he speaks about ceasefire, then releasing the hostages.  He’s the only one.  He puts the carriage ahead of the horse.  How could that… Why he does that?

Spokesman:  Sorry.  Can you repeat the question?  Because I’m not sure I follow.

Question:  Why he talks, in his statement today, he asked for the immediate release of hostages and then a ceasefire.  Could that…?

Spokesman:  I think you’re A, you’re reading too much into it.  It is also…

Question:  Why?  Why I’m reading?

Spokesman:  It is also how things happen chronologically.

Correspondent:  No, it has to come from the ceasefire.

Spokesman:  Listen, you don’t agree with me.

Correspondent:  Following the SG, I’m not…

Spokesman:  Listen, he used the words that he uses.  The points are there.  If you want to write and criticize the way he uses the words, that’s your freedom as a journalist.

…

Question:  But now, regarding the AP report and the letter to Israeli officials, I guess there might be some Gazans out there now hearing that news, being very concerned and scared that the UN might turn their back on them.  And do you have a message for these people?

Spokesman:  The UN will not turn its back on the people of Gaza.  Yvonne, and then sorry, and then I’ll…

…

Question:  Thanks, Steph.  I just want to go back to the AP report again to make sure we have the facts correct based on how you’re presenting them.  The letter that you said was sent on 17 June to COGAT from the UN, in that letter, did it state that the UN will suspend aid operations in Gaza unless improved safety is guaranteed?

Spokesman:  Look, what we are pushing in all our contacts with the Israelis is to have more effective aid coordination, better deconfliction system, because we’ve seen it clearly ain’t [sic] working.  Permission for essential security equipment commensurate with the risks of working in a war zone and for the army to commit to its responsibilities to facilitate humanitarian assistance and to protect humanitarian staff and installations.

Question:  So, I mean, some UN officials are apparently telling the Associated Press that the UN is telling Israel they will suspend aid operations. It sounds like you’re not confirming that.

Spokesman:  Look, I’ve been in this place for 24 years.  The people I would really love to meet are the unnamed UN officials.  Ibtisam?

Question:  Yeah, first I have a follow-up on that also to just try to understand.  So, because you kind of said yes and then you said no and then said yes, and it’s a little bit confusing.  So, you have some conditions that you want to be met.  But is there any possibility that the UN will suspend aid operations in case these conditions or these demands are not met?

Spokesman:  As I’ve said, we are committed to doing whatever we can to helping the people of Gaza who are so desperately dependent on humanitarian aid. Every day, we have to assess how we run those operations.  Can that convoy move?  Can we open up another feeding centre?  You know, what supplies we can get in.  Every day we’re doing this assessment because we are continuing to operate in a conflict zone.  Our message to the Israeli authorities is to put in place these measures that I’ve just outlined to Gabriel that would make our life slightly more predictable.  But in the end, the only way to get to where we really want to go is, and I will repeat myself, the humanitarian ceasefire, the free and unfettered humanitarian aid and the release of all the hostages.

Question:  I have another question on the UN Security Council meeting today in the morning.  So, Mr. Wennesland, the major part of his report was supposed to be about the UN resolution regarding settlements…

Spokesman:  That’s 2223.

Question:  23, yeah.  But he hardly talked about the settlements in that report.  There was like maybe one paragraph maximum, no.  And a lot happened when it came to settlements and settlement expansion in the last three months.  So, the question is, why not?  And then I have another related question.  The American Ambassador to the UN, in that meeting, she talked lengthily about the concern of her country regarding settlements and the sanctions of extremist settlers and the groups of nine, et cetera.  So, my question here, what does the UN want to see countries like the US or European countries who have a very good relationship with the Israeli Government and also a lot of other ones do when it comes to settlements and settlers and their violence?  Because it seems to be that these steps that they are taking are just not enough.

Spokesman:  I mean, it is clear that on the issue of settlements that we continue to regard them as illegal and counter to the two-State solution.  Whatever countries may have influence on Israel should push for the full implementation of Security Council resolutions.  As for your first question regarding Mr. Wennesland, I mean, A, I would encourage you to read the whole report of the Secretary-General, right?  Which…

Correspondent:  But…

Spokesman:  Okay, so the report, I mean, he was doing highlights of the report. As I’ve told Abdelhamid more than once, he said what he said.  UN officials say what they say.  That’s their job.  Your job is to analyse, criticize and even sometimes maybe praise.  But I’m not going to go into a full analysis of the number of words on one issue as opposed to another.  This was a presentation of the report.  Edie?

…

Question:  Thank you.  The Israeli Government appointed a civilian official to be the deputy of the governor of the West Bank, which Tor Wennesland mentioned in his remarks.  It’s one step before annexing the West Bank completely by changing the government from military to civilians.  And he warned of that.  I didn’t see any statement from the SG of this important development.

Spokesman:  Well, I mean, Tor Wennesland, you said, warned of that?

Correspondent:  Yeah, he did.

Spokesman:  Right.  Tor Wennesland represents the Secretary-General.  He was speaking on behalf of the Secretary-General.  I’m not the only person who speaks on his behalf.

Question:  The second question?

Spokesman:  Please.

Question:  Okay.  About the Guantanamo of Gaza, is the ETN, the detention centre.  There is a report by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitoring Group.  They issued a very strong report about the treatment of Palestinian in that detention centre, about torturing, killing, keeping the detainees blindfolded all the time.

Spokesman:  No, I’m aware and I think…

Correspondent:  Yeah, but we didn’t hear anything about that.

Spokesman:  I think my understanding is that our human rights colleagues have spoken on it, and we’re obviously extremely concerned.

Question:  Why didn’t you?

Spokesman:  We’re also extremely concerned about all of these reports of not only arbitrary detention, but the horrendous conditions.  And I think also UNRWA, and we’ve said it from here, has also been very public in talking about the interviews of people who had been released and the treatment they had had.

Question:  I was expecting it to show in the report of Mr. Wennesland.

Spokesman:  Again, I mean, listen, I don’t know what else to tell you.  Sorry I skipped over Dennis, who’s been very patient.

…

Correspondent:  I asked Ms. [Juliette] Touma from UNRWA about this a couple days ago. She said she’d get back, but I know she has her hands full.  And you’re omnipotent, so you’ll have the answer anyway.

Spokesman:  My omnipotence?

Question:  Yes.  In the UNRWA lawsuit.  I’m not asking to comment on the lawsuit itself, but in the lawsuit, there was an accusation made that UNRWA and Gaza, the aid that goes to Gazans through UNRWA, it is the only aid distribution in all of the UN, where the aid is distributed in US dollars rather than in the local currency.  And the accusation behind that was that it’s a way to get that money to Hamas because it needs to be changed over into shekels.  Hamas takes their money changer fees, and it helps fund Hamas.  I’m just asking from a fact check, is that correct?  [cross talk]

Spokesman:  I cannot, I might be omnipotent, but I’m not all-knowing, so I can’t answer the question, but I’m going to try to find out.

Correspondent:  Thank you very much.

Spokesman:  Gabriel, and then Benno.

Question:  Thank you, Steph.  Thanks for coming back.  Would your office consider releasing the 17 June letter that the UN wrote to COGAT publicly?

Spokesman:  No.

Question:  Okay.  If the UN was to suspend aid operations, who would make that decision?  Would that be the Secretary-General that would have to sign off on that?

Spokesman:  I’m not going to get into what I believe are hypotheticals.

Question:  A last thing.

Spokesman:  Yes, please.

Question:  I promise this is it.  In your opening remarks, you mentioned that an UNRWA school was hit, and several people were killed, and several people were injured.  It’s been, by some accounts, more than 190 UNRWA facilities in one way, shape or form that have been hit.  I mean, your comments were very brief about what happened in the UNRWA school.  And my question is, if this happened many months ago or a year ago, we probably would have spent 45 minutes talking about that here.

Spokesman:  Yeah, probably.

Question:  Are you or the Secretary-General at all concerned that the UN has been so targeted over the last eight months that it’s just become so commonplace now that it’s only worth one sentence in a briefing?

Spokesman:  It’s tragic.  It’s tragic that that has become routine.  It is tragic. And let’s be clear.  It is a building that was used as a school. There are no more schools run by the UN in Gaza.  Children are not getting an education, right?  But I can tell you that we are keeping a catalogue of all of the incidents and attacks on UN facilities or misuse of facilities by combatants.  On that note, bon appétit and we’ll see you on Monday. I just, I’m done for the week.