US ambassador to UN turns on Israel over repeated attacks against Gaza innocents

The US ambassador to the United Nations on Monday openly accused Israel of attacking innocents, telling a meeting of the bloc’s Security Council that the Israeli military has “no basis” to open fire on those that are plainly not enemy combatants.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield asserted the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have repeatedly attacked marked UN vehicles, schools, and civilians, departing from the usual symbiotic relationship that the US-Israeli allyship usually shares.

Ms Thomas-Greenfield expressed America’s frustration with its ally as the first anniversary of the October 7 attack fast approaches, labelling many attacks that had seen aid workers and UN personnel in recent weeks as totally “preventable”.

“We have also been unequivocal in communicating to Israel that there is no basis — absolutely none — for its forces to be opening fire on clearly marked UN vehicles as recently occurred on numerous occasions,” she said.

She told the Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon on Monday that the US expects to see a swift change in the IDF to curb the number of civilian casualties.

“The IDF is a professional military and knows well how to ensure that incidents such as these do not happen,” she said.

She added: “And so, the United States expects the IDF’s leadership will implement fundamental changes in the way the IDF operates – including changes to their rules of engagement and steps to fix the obvious shortcomings in how the deconfliction procedures are implemented.”

Ms Thomas-Greenfield also spoke of America’s “outrage” at the death of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Eygi in the security council meeting on Monday.

Ms Eygi was shot and killed during a protest in the West Bank last week, with the IDF admitting it likely killed her by mistake.

Israel claims it will launch a criminal investigation into the matter.

UN senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag told reporters and UN members during Monday’s council meeting that war has turned the territory into hell on Earth.

“Time is slipping away as a man-made humanitarian crisis has turned Gaza into the abyss,” Ms Kaag said.

Humanitarian operations impeded by lawlessness, Israeli evacuation orders, fighting and difficult conditions for aid workers that include Israeli denials of access, delays, a lack of safety and security, and “poor logistical infrastructure” are worsening the situation.

She added: “The continued lack of effective protection for civilians in Gaza is unconscionable.”

More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s nearly year-long offensive, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports.

Israel’s UN ambassador,  however, asserted on Monday that Israel’s humanitarian efforts “are unparalleled” and urged the council and UN “to speak to the facts”.

Over one million tonnes of aid have been delivered via more than 50,000 trucks and nearly one million land crossings, he told the council, adding that hardly a fraction have been stopped.

When asked about Mr Danon’s statement, Ms Kaag pointed to recent strikes on humanitarian convoys and schools and health facilities where Israel had received prior notification.

“It’s not about trucks. It’s about what people need. We’re way, way off what people need, not only daily, but also what we would all consider a dignified human life,” she added.