In its first task as a new non-permanent member of UN Security Council Somalia calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza

Following its recent appointment as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Somalia has made a strong plea in its inaugural session, urging Israel to cease hostilities in Gaza and adhere to humanitarian laws.

This call emphasizes the need for unobstructed aid delivery to millions of civilians facing dire conditions as winter approaches.

The appeal was delivered by Somalia’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Abukar Dahir Osman “Baale,” during a Security Council meeting focused on Gaza and the Middle East. Members of the Council received a briefing on the situation from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk.

Ambassador Baale expressed Somalia’s deep concern for the living conditions of Palestinian civilians severely affected by the ongoing conflict and the blockade imposed by Israel.

He urged Israel to halt attacks on hospitals and take additional steps to ensure lifesaving aid reaches the starving civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories.

“Somalia is gravely concerned about the deteriorating situation in Gaza and the continuous suffering of the Palestinian people due to the protracted conflict that has now persisted for over 14 months,” said Ambassador Baale.

Highlighting the latest data from the World Health Organization, Baale noted that 94% of Gaza’s healthcare facilities have been damaged or destroyed by Israeli actions, leaving only 17 operational hospitals out of 36.

He pointed out that Palestinians are deprived of basic necessities such as food, water, shelter, and medicine due to the ongoing blockade.

One of the most recent and significant hospital attacks was on Kamal Atwan Hospital, whose director, Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, was reportedly detained by Israeli Defense Forces. Somalia warned that the systematic targeting of hospitals amounts to ethnic cleansing against Palestinians.

“The deliberate attacks on Kamal Atwan Hospital and other medical facilities and personnel constitute a form of ethnic cleansing and collective punishment against the civilians of Gaza,” said Somalia’s envoy.

Somalia called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, emphasizing that the Israel-Palestine conflict cannot be resolved through military means alone. Instead, a solution lies in establishing a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, in line with previous UN Security Council resolutions.