Jordan’s King Abdullah says UN is "under attack" in Gaza as it fails to protect civilians
Jordan’s King Abdullah II opened his speech at the UN on Tuesday by saying the global organization is “under attack, literally and figuratively” due to the Israel-Gaza conflict, and that it risks a potential “collapse of global trust and moral authority.”
“The UN is under attack, literally and figuratively. For nearly a year, the sky-blue flag flying over UN shelters and schools in Gaza has been powerless to protect innocent civilians from Israeli military bombardment,” Abdullah said.
He added:
“UN aid trucks sit motionless just miles away from starving Palestinians. Humanitarian workers who proudly wear the emblem of this institution are disparaged and targeted. And the rulings of the UN’s International Court of Justice are defied, its opinions disregarded. So, it’s no surprise that both inside and outside this Hall, trust in UN’s cornerstone principles and ideals is crumbling.”
Abdullah was met with applause in the hall when he called on the international community to “establish a protection mechanism” for Palestinians.
“Now is the time to ensure the protection of the Palestinian people. It is the moral duty of this international community to establish a protection mechanism for them across the occupied territories. This will guarantee the safety of Palestinians and Israelis from extremists who are taking our region to the brink of an all-out war,” he said.
He also called on the international community to participate in an “international Gaza humanitarian gateway” to ensure the delivery of food, water and medicine to the besieged enclave’s civilian population.
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