Richard Horton – The Lancet (1)
Gaza’s children – a responsability to protect
It was a mistake for Israel’s representative to the UN, Gilad Erdan, to say, after the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for an “immediate, lasting and prolonged humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities”, that the UN “no longer holds even an ounce of legitimacy or relevance.” It was a mistake for Erdan, a few days earlier, to ask for the resignation of António Guterres, after the UN secretary general, while unreservedly condemning the terrorist attacks by Hamas, had also argued that those attacks “did not happen in a vacuum” . And it was a mistake for the Israeli government to withdraw travel visas for UN officials, including that of the UN humanitarian coordinator. When Israel’s war against Hamas is over, Israelis and Palestinians will depend on the United Nations and its specialized agencies, such as the WHO, to protect the lives of those who remain, to restore basic services and to rebuild the infrastructure that has been destroyed. The United Nations is usually extremely cautious when it comes to public discussions with member states. When the UN speaks publicly, it does so for a reason. The Charter of the United Nations begins with the words “We the peoples”. It was on behalf of the people of the world, not its presidents and prime ministers, that the UN was created. It is the citizens of member states, not their political leaders, to whom the UN is ultimately accountable. When the Secretary General of the United Nations speaks and when the United Nations General Assembly votes, a wise nation should listen carefully.
The attacks against Israelis and the taking of over 200 hostages, perpetrated by Hamas, were indefensible acts of terror. But this unforgivable attack does not sanction the killing of children in Gaza as “retaliation” – the word used by Mark Regev, an advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. UNICEF has appealed for a ceasefire to allow humanitarian access and the release of all hostages. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said last week: “The suffering we see now cannot be the solution. Decades of war have produced nothing but division and destruction. I call on the international community to support a ceasefire NOW and work on a political solution to establish lasting peace.” UNFPA highlighted that there are approximately 50,000 pregnant women living in Gaza today, and more than 5,000 are expected to give birth in the next 30 days. In a statement released on 27 October 2023, UNFPA condemned “the violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories and echoes the call of the United Nations Secretary-General for an immediate ceasefire, for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages by Hamas and for unhindered access for humanitarian aid and workers to Gaza”. The majority of countries – 120 voted in favor of the UN resolution on the protection of civilians, with 14 against and 45 abstentions – agree with UNICEF, WHO and UNFPA. The voice of the healthcare community is gradually amplifying. The International Pediatric Association has called attention “to the needs of those disproportionately affected as victims of conflict, children”.
A few years ago, an Israeli doctor, who has since become a dear friend, invited me to Israel to show me another side of the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. He introduced me to the writings of the Jewish philosopher and physician Maimonides (1135–1204). An ethical principle of this master of rabbinic literature was that we should always take the middle path: “the two opposite extremes are not the good path… Every man whose character traits all lie in the middle is called the wise man… There comes commanded to walk along these middle paths, which are the good and right paths”. Restricting supplies of food, water, electricity and fuel to Gaza is not the middle ground. Destroying Gaza’s already fragile health system is not the middle ground. Killing the children of Gaza, even with regret, is not the middle ground. Some Israelis speak out against their government’s approach. Rabbi Samuel Lebens, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Haifa, wrote last week on the Jewish breaking latest news of the United Kingdom that “it was wrong for Israel to cut off electricity and water, indiscriminately, to the people of Gaza (who had no way of leaving the Strip), also as leverage for the release of our hostages”. The world pay more attention to these rumors. And Israeli political leaders must listen, for the sake of children in Israel and Palestine.
(1) Richard Horton, Offline: Gaza’s children – a responsability to protect, The Lancet 2023; 402:1609. Our translation.
Children, United Nations Charter, Gaza, War, Israel, Maimonides, Infant Mortality, WHO, UN, Palestine, Gaza Strip, Tedros Adhamon Ghebreyesus, UNFPA, UNICEF