UNSC: Algeria Calls for Immediate Action Against Violations of Humanitarian Law in Gaza
Algeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amar Bendjama, urged members of the Security Council on Thursday in New York to take immediate action in response to violations of humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip. He emphasized that “There is no place for double standard” and that “no one is above the law.”
“This situation is unacceptable, and this very Council can no longer remain silent. We must assume our responsibilities, our mandate, as member of this Council for maintaining international peace and security. We must act without delay,” Bendjama asserted during his remarks at the annual public debate in the Security Council on the protection of civilians in armed conflicts.
In this context, he noted that “Algeria, with the support of the Arab group and tends to circulate a very concise draft text focused on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, as well as the access and distribution of humanitarian aid throughout the entire strip.”
“We count on everyone’s support and and spirit of compromise in this important endeavor. We will use language that we hope can unite not only Security Council members but Humanity’s entirety,” he added.
Recalling the suffering and loss of life endured by the Palestinian people in 2024, Algeria’s representative remarked that “the failure to protect civilians is not the result of lack of norms, it is a failure of will.”
“The rules exist. What is lacking is the political will, is the political courage to enforce them. We must collectively reaffirm that international humanitarian law is not negotiable. It is the last shield for the innocent amid the horror of war. We owe it to the victims to ensure that these rules are upheld,” he asserted.
He continued: “All victims deserve justice, deserve accountability, Respect for international humanitarian law must not be the exception, it must be the rule. There is no place for double standard. No one is above the law.”
Highlighting that Gaza experienced the highest number of humanitarian law violations in 2024 due to Zionist aggression, Bendjama revealed that the United Nations recorded over 36,000 civilian deaths across 14 armed conflicts in 2024, the majority of which occurred in Gaza.
He noted that in the Gaza Strip, “In Gaza, civilian infrastructure has been systematically destroyed. by the end of last year. Nearly 70% of all structures in Gaza were damaged or flattened. The electricity blackout persisted throughout the year. Second, in Gaza, forced displacement has become normalized. Two million people -about 90% of Gaza’s population- have been uprooted, almost all of them displaced many times. Third, in Gaza, starvation is being weaponized. 86% of the population faced critical level of food insecurity. Fourth, in Gaza, medical neutrality has been obliterated. Over 300 attacks on health facilities were recorded in Gaza. 20 of the 36 hospitals and 86 health care centers were rendered non-functional.”
In a similar vein, he pointed out that in the Gaza Strip, “education has been shattered. 12,000 school children and 500 teachers were killed. 80% of school buildings were damaged. An entire generation of Palestinian children have lost a full academic year in 2024. Journalism is under fire. 20 journalists were killed, and international media access has been and is still denied, murdering not only lives, but also the truth. in Gaza, humanitarian workers have been turned into targets. 2024 was the deadliest year on record in the world, with over 200 of 360 humanitarian workers killed in Gaza alone.”
