Sending Letter to the UN Security Council regarding the Gaza War, UN Secretary General: We Face a Huge Risk of Collapse of the Humanitarian System

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. (Wikimedia Commons/US Mission/Eric Bridiers)

JAKARTA - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday invoked the rarely used Article 99 of the UN Charter, when he warned the Security Council of the global threat that could arise from the Hamas-Israel war in the Gaza Strip.

The application of Article 99 of the UN Charter allows Secretary-General Guterres to present to the Security Council, "matters which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security."

UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric said the article had not been used for decades.

"We face a grave risk of the collapse of the humanitarian system," Guterres wrote. The implications for Palestinians are irreversible and for regional security, he said, once again calling for a humanitarian ceasefire to be announced, reported Reuters, December 7.

In his letter to the Security Council Secretary-General Guterres also said that there was no effective protection of civilians and "there is no safe place in Gaza."

In response, Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan said Guterres had reached a "new moral low" by sending the letter to the Security Council, adding: "The Secretary-General's call for a ceasefire is actually a call to maintain Hamas terror in Gaza."

Separately, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the conflict posed a threat to regional and global security.

"We made it clear that one of the things we are trying to do is prevent this conflict from escalating," he told reporters.

It is known that the war in Gaza started after the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked the southern region of Israel on October 7.

Israel said 1,200 people were killed and 240 people were taken hostage in the attack. Temporary. Gaza's Health Ministry said so far 16,015 people had been killed as a result of bombardment, blockades, and ground operations carried out by Israel in retaliation.