Palestinian families bereaved by Gaza attacks address UN officials, urging action

UNITED NATIONS (AA) – In New York, Palestine’s Mission to the UN brought together a delegation of 10 Palestinians who lost their families in over five months of Israeli attacks on Gaza to meet with UN officials.

Under the auspices of Palestine’s UN Ambassador Riyad Mansur, the delegation on Wednesday met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and members of the UN Security Council and spoke to the media.

Dr. Imad Tamimi, who has worked in hospitals in Gaza, said that the situation there is far worse than what is shown in the news, adding: “These attacks were the most terrifying and horrifying things I have ever seen in my life and I believe each of us must do something to stop this.”

Dr. Rolal Farrah from Texas said his extended Palestinian family has been living in Gaza for centuries, mourning the loss of scores of family members in Israeli attacks.

“More than 150 of my family members were killed during Israel’s attacks on Gaza, either in bombings, by Israeli sniper fire, or as a result of the ruthless denial of humanitarian aid deliveries,” he said.

Farrah called for a permanent cease-fire and a lasting solution to ensure the protection of Gazans’ dignity, freedom, and right to justice.

He stressed that they shared their families’ stories firsthand with the UN secretary-general and Security Council members as part of their efforts to make Palestinians’ voices heard.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack which Tel Aviv said killed 1,160 people.

More than 30,700 Palestinians have since been killed and over 72,000 others injured.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Israel continues to disregard the ruling.