Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation: UN Chief slams Israel
Says protecting civilians doesn't mean bombing one million people after asking them to evacuate
New York: In a strong plea before the 15-member UN Security Council on Tuesday, October 24, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, condemning the violations of international law occurring in the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian armed group, Hamas.
The conflict escalated dramatically after Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7. In response, Israel has relentlessly bombarded the besieged Gaza Strip, resulting in significant casualties. Israeli authorities have reported at least 1,400 people killed, while authorities in Gaza, governed by Hamas, claim the death toll to be at least 5,791. Additionally, more than one million people have been displaced due to the violence.
Guterres expressed concern about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where Israel cut off supplies of essential resources, including water, food, fuel, and electricity, to the enclave's 2.3 million residents. The UN has characterized this act as a form of collective punishment, emphasizing the severe impact on civilians.
Addressing the Security Council, Guterres underscored the need to protect civilians and warned that the ongoing fighting could escalate into a broader regional conflict. He acknowledged the complex historical context, stating, "The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation." However, he condemned the attacks by Hamas as "appalling" and emphasized that these actions could not justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
“It is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation,” Guterres said.
Guterres also criticized Israel's actions without explicitly naming the country. He condemned the practice of ordering over one million people to evacuate to the south, where there is a lack of essential resources, only to continue bombing the area. The UN chief called Hamas' attack "horrifying and unprecedented" and demanded the immediate release of approximately 200 people captured and held captive by the group.
“Protecting civilians does not mean ordering more than one million people to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine and no fuel, and then continuing to bomb the south itself,” he added.
Despite limited humanitarian aid entering Gaza from the Egyptian side, Guterres emphasized that the assistance provided was insufficient compared to the overwhelming need. He described the current aid efforts as "a drop of aid in an ocean of need."
Israel's UN Ambassador, Gilad Erdan, strongly criticized Guterres' speech, particularly taking issue with the statement that "the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum." Erdan accused Guterres of sympathizing with terrorism and murder, expressing disappointment in the UN chief's perspective.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
— In Context (@incontextmedia) October 24, 2023
"The attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation." pic.twitter.com/OmaNgfC6kH
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Environment ministry endorses names of 10-member expert committee set up to define Aravalli hills
New Delhi (PTI): The Union Environment Ministry has told the Supreme Court that it has no objection with the Central Empowered Committee's proposed 10-member high-powered expert committee which has been tasked to come up with a uniform definition for the Aravalli hills and ranges.
In an affidavit filed before the top court, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has endorsed the names suggested for the high-powered expert committee comprising in-service and retired bureaucrats associated with the Forest Survey of India (FSI), Geological Survey of India (GSI) and Survey of India, along with academicians.
"The MoEFCC respectfully submits that it has no objection if this court as the aforesaid suggested names for the constitution of the proposed High Powered Committee. It is further submitted that the Ministry does not have any additional names to propose at this stage for inclusion in the said committee," the affidavit said.
The committee is proposed to be headed by Kanchan Devi, the current director general of the Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education.
The MoEF, in its affidavit, said the aspects relating to the Aravalli Hills and Ranges require a comprehensive and analytical examination, including stakeholder consultation, by a group of domain experts in the relevant fields.
The CEC in its report to the apex court said Devi, a 1991 Indian Forest Service officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has over three decades of experience in forestry education and research, wildlife and forest policy, and institutional leadership.
The other members include Subhash Ashutosh, former director general of FSI,
former GSI director Rajendra Kumar Sharma, climate and energy policy expert Tejal Kanitkar, senior academician and life sciences researcher Jaya Parkash Yadav, senior geographer and scholar Tejbir Singh Rana, former additional surveyor general of India SV Singh, former Gujarat principal chief conservator of forests CN Pandey, and former Nagaland PCCF Dharmendra Prakash.
The CEC also recommended names of RN Mishra, a noted author and Vijay Dhasmana, an ecological restoration practitioner and conservationist.
On February 26, the top court had asked the environment ministry and other stakeholders to suggest names of domain experts for the panel which would define the Aravalli hills and ranges, and observed that only lawful mining would be allowed in the region.
The top court, on December 29, took note of the outcry over the new definition of the Aravallis and kept in abeyance its November 20 directions that accepted a uniform definition of these hills and ranges. It had also stalled all mining activities.
It remarked that there was a need to resolve "critical ambiguities", including whether the criteria of 100-metre elevation and the 500-metre gap between hills would strip a significant portion of the range of environmental protection.
