The top Saudi diplomat issued a strong diatribe against the international community on Monday for its silence on the Gaza war as the UN’s top human rights body opened a new session.
Citing the Israeli killing of over 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza since the war on Hamas began last October, Prince Faisal bin Farhan said no institutional dialogue could be taken seriously if the situation in Palestine was overlooked.
“What rights are we talking about, and Gaza is under the rubble? How can the international community stay silent, and the people of Gaza are being displaced and are suffering from the most heinous forms of human rights violations?” Prince Faisal said during his remarks at the 55th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The Saudi minister added: “Despite the death of 30,000 people and the starvation of more than 2 million people, the lack of security and basic services, such as water, electricity and medicine, the Security Council is still leaving meetings without a result.”
He was referring to repeated failed attempts by the UNSC to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The US has vetoed proposals on three different occasions, sparking the ire of much of the international community.
Washington says that a ceasefire under the current circumstances would not help the situation, claiming, most recently, that this would impair the ongoing discussions to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.
Prince Faisal also slammed the “double standards” being used by some during the Gaza war.
“The Kingdom has repeatedly called on the international community to bear its responsibilities in stopping the war and irresponsible escalation to protect innocent civilians and to pave the way for a clear and credible peace process, which all parties are committed to,” he said.
Israel has been warning that it would carry out a military operation inside Rafah, which sits on Gaza’s border with Egypt. An estimated 1.2 million Palestinians are seeking refuge in the town and have nowhere to go if an Israeli campaign is mounted.
The Saudi foreign minister warned of the catastrophic repercussions this could have on the civilians there because of “the forced displacement of the Israeli occupation army.”
