UN Secretary Generals are deeply concerned about the violence in the Middle East and condemn Israel for “genocide”

by Xinhua authors Xia Lin and Gao Shan

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) — At the general debate of the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday, world leaders called for an end to the violence that has ravaged the Middle East for months, with some pointing the finger directly at Israel, accusing it of the “genocide” it has committed against the Palestinians.

UNGA President Philemon Yang pointed to the various conflicts raging from the Middle East to Ukraine and from Haiti to South Sudan. “I call for an immediate ceasefire in all these conflict areas,” he said, adding that the people of Gaza and Israel have been “caught in a vicious cycle of conflict and retaliation” for nearly a year.

“I take this opportunity to call for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Hamas and Israel and the unconditional release of the hostages. I also call on all parties to respect international law, including international humanitarian law, and to work towards a just and lasting solution based on the United Nations Charter, relevant resolutions and international law, and ensuring the dignity of both Palestinians and Israelis,” he said.

Launching his report on the UN’s work for 2024 ahead of the general debate, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said world leaders were coming together in the shadow of raging conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and elsewhere, as well as growing uncertainty about climate change, ending poverty and curbing artificial intelligence.

“Our world is in turmoil. We are in an era of epic change – and facing challenges like we have never seen before – challenges that require global solutions,” the UN chief said.

He warned that geopolitical divisions were deepening, global temperatures were rising, wars were raging with no end in sight, and that nuclear noise and new weapons were “casting a dark shadow.”

“We are approaching the unimaginable – a powder keg that threatens to engulf the world,” he noted.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said his country had benefited from a wave of international solidarity in the struggle to end apartheid and usher in a new democratic era. “We will not remain silent and watch apartheid being perpetrated against others,” he added, as Israel continues its collective punishment against Palestinians in Gaza.

He called for joint efforts by the UN system and other multinational institutions to end the suffering of civilians and to ensure the success of South Africa’s legal action against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israel for “disregarding basic human rights, trampling on international law at every opportunity, carrying out ethnic cleansing, committing a clear genocide against a nation and a people, and occupying their land step by step.”

Stressing that it is imperative for the international community to develop a protection mechanism for the Palestinian civilian population, he reiterated: “We have no animosity or hostility towards the people of Israel. We reject anti-Semitism in the same way that we reject targeting Muslims simply because of their faith.”

Indeed, the President said, Gaza has become “the largest cemetery for women and children in the world,” at a time when truth itself is “dying” and “the hopes of humanity to live in a more just world are dying one by one.” However, he stressed that “we will not shy away from defending the family, the human person and creation in solidarity with other member states.”

King Abdullah II of Jordan said in the general debate: “Now is the time to ensure the protection of the Palestinian people. It is the moral duty of the international community to establish a protection mechanism for them in the occupied territories.”

“Impunity is gaining strength. If it is not stopped, it will gain momentum,” he said, noting that the world is watching Gaza, “and history will judge us by the courage we show.”

The Jordanian president said that almost a year after the war began, the world had failed politically, “but our humanity can no longer abandon the people of Gaza.”

At the same time, both heads of state stressed that the world organization is far from fulfilling its obligations to curb violence in the Middle East.

Innocent civilians and aid workers from the UN refugee agency UNRWA have had to suffer months of bombing in Gaza. “The UN is under attack, both literally and figuratively,” the king said.

“The United Nations has failed to fulfill its founding mission and has gradually become a dysfunctional structure,” Erdogan said, referring to the massacre in the Gaza Strip, where more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed by sustained Israeli attacks for nearly a year.

“Too many people are displaced on both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese border. Full-blown wars are in no one’s interest. Even though the situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible,” US President Joe Biden told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday morning. “In fact, allowing residents of both countries to safely return to their homes along the border is the only path to lasting security.”

“That is what we are working tirelessly to achieve,” Biden said. “As we look forward, we must also address the increasing violence against innocent Palestinians in the West Bank and create the conditions for a better future, including a two-state solution in which Israel enjoys security and peace, full recognition and normalization of relations with all its neighbors; in which Palestinians live in security, dignity and self-determination in a state of their own.”

Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters on Tuesday that Israel prefers a “diplomatic solution” in dealing with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, but will also use “other methods” to show “that we are serious.”

Asked by CNN’s Tara John whether Israel was prepared for a second front on the Lebanese border after repeated attacks on Hezbollah targets in the country, Danon replied: “We are not eager to launch a ground offensive anywhere. I don’t want to send my son there, and we don’t want to send our boys to fight in a foreign country, but we are determined to protect the civilian population of Israel.”

The UN General Assembly General Debate began on Tuesday, with world leaders heading to New York to deliver their statements. During the debate, they will engage in high-level discussions on the existential threat posed by rising sea levels, accelerate progress in the fight against the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, and advance the UN’s long-term goal of achieving global nuclear disarmament. The plenary session comes on the International Day for the Total Abolition of Nuclear Weapons.