Guterres takes unusual step over Gaza war

Israel's government is responding to demands from the USA: more fuel is to be delivered to the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the United Nations is taking an extraordinary measure to put pressure on Israel.

In view of the suffering of the civilian population, international criticism of the Israeli army's actions in the Gaza Strip is growing. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has turned to the UN Security Council himself to put the war in the Middle East on the agenda - a move that is perceived in Israel as a further affront. However, under pressure from the USA, at least more fuel should now be delivered to the Gaza Strip.

Guterres urged the Security Council to take action to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip - an unusual move. In a letter to the Security Council, the UN chief invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter for the first time since taking office in 2017. This allows the Secretary-General to draw the attention of the Security Council to "any matter which, in his opinion, may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security" and, according to the UN, has not been applied for decades.

"I urge the members of the Security Council to press for the prevention of a humanitarian catastrophe," the letter reads. "I reiterate my call for a humanitarian ceasefire to be declared. This is urgent. The civilian population must be spared greater suffering."

The UN chief decided to invoke Article 99 of the UN Charter in view of the great loss of life in the Gaza Strip and in Israel within a comparatively short period of time, according to the United Nations. This has only happened very rarely in the history of the UN. Invoking Article 99 has no direct consequences, but symbolically the Secretary-General is giving his appeal greater significance. According to a spokesperson for Guterres, the Security Council is expected to meet this week to discuss the issue and Guterres will also be present.

Normally, the members of the Security Council themselves decide which matters they perceive as a threat to world peace and therefore wish to put on the agenda. The most powerful UN body has so far passed a resolution on the Gaza war, but has otherwise often been at odds.

Israel: demand for ceasefire plays into the hands of Hamas

Israel's foreign minister sharply criticized Guterres' move. "His request to activate Article 99 and the call for a ceasefire in Gaza constitute support for the terrorist organization Hamas," wrote Eli Cohen on X. "Anyone who supports world peace must support the liberation of Gaza from Hamas." Guterre's term of office jeopardizes world peace. The relationship between Israel and the United Nations was already very strained before. The UN bodies reflect the attitude of the countries of the world, the majority of which are critical or even hostile towards Israel.

The USA is on Israel's side, but has recently expressed increasing concern about developments in the Gaza Strip and called for more aid to be allowed in. The government is now at least partially complying with this pressure: This evening, the Security Cabinet approved a recommendation by the War Cabinet to allow more fuel deliveries to the south of the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced. An increase in the minimum quantity permitted was necessary "to prevent a humanitarian collapse and the outbreak of epidemics", it added.

It is unclear by how much the amount of fuel that can be brought into the Gaza Strip each day should be increased. According to Netanyahu's office, the minimum quantity will be determined from time to time by the war cabinet, taking into account the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Israel fears that fuel will be misused by Hamas, including for firing rockets.