Middle East

Gaza, UN experts: act fast to end genocide. Spain presents draft resolution

For USA Persian Gulf becomes 'Arabian Gulf

7 May 2025

Aggiungi Il Sole 24 Ore
ai preferiti su Google

Onu: a Gaza solo più distruzione e disumanizzazione

5' min read

States must act "now" to avert the "annihilation" of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. This is the warning issued by more than 30 independent experts from the United Nations. "States must act quickly to end the ongoing genocide, dismantle apartheid and ensure a future where Palestinians and Israelis can coexist in freedom and dignity," they demanded in a statement. For these experts, mandated by the UN Human Rights Council but not speaking on behalf of the UN, the choice for each state is 'clear: stand by and watch the slaughter of innocents or participate in the drafting of a just resolution'.

In their statement, they said that 'the escalating atrocities in Gaza represent a moral turning point' and called on states to 'act now to end the violence or witness the annihilation of the Palestinian population' in the Palestinian territory, calling for immediate international intervention.

In this regard, White House envoy Steve Witkoff will brief the UN Security Council today, in a closed session, on the Israeli-American plan to resume humanitarian aid to Gaza. Walla reports. The UN and all humanitarian organisations working in Gaza have rejected the plan, claiming it 'contradicts basic humanitarian principles'. Nevertheless, the Trump administration is working to mobilise several countries to contribute financially to the mechanism and to obtain UN cooperation.

Remaining in the UN sphere, Spain will present a draft resolution to the UN General Assembly that aims to "propose urgent measures to stop the killing of innocent civilians and guarantee humanitarian aid" in Gaza. This was stressed by the Prime Minister of Madrid, Pedro Sanchez, who told the Spanish parliament that "the international community cannot remain indifferent to what is happening" in the Strip, where intense fighting between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist movement Hamas continues.

Tajani: concerned for civilians in Gaza

Concerned words also came from the Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani: "We are very concerned about the situation of the Palestinian civilian population, so much so that I have given instructions to our ambassador in Tel Aviv, to our consulate in Jerusalem, to our ambassador to the FAO, to our ambassador to the United Nations to do everything possible to ensure that Italian humanitarian aid through the programme called Food for Gaza, which we have implemented and are implementing with the United Nations World Food Programme, can proceed, in short we can directly bring aid to the Palestinian civilian population without going through Hamas," the minister told Mattino 5 on Canale 5. "This is our first concern, because we are really worried about the food hygiene situation of the civilian population," he added.

The Hamas-run Gaza Civil Defence reported that 15 people were killed today in an Israeli airstrike on a school housing displaced persons in the northern Strip. "Our teams recovered 15 (dead) and ten wounded after an Israeli occupation airstrike on al-Karama school, which houses displaced people," in eastern Gaza city, Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal told Afp.

The dead hostages

Overnight Donald Trump declared that three more Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza had died, bringing the number of those still alive to 21. "We want to try to save as many hostages as possible," the US president said during the swearing-in ceremony at the White House of his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. "This is a terrible situation. We are trying to get the hostages out. Many of them have been released," the tycoon added.

Gal Hirsch, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman for the hostage issue, said that the official list of hostages alive in the Jewish state still contains 24 names. This was reported by The Times of Israel. The clarification follows the words of the US President, Donald Trump, that only 21 hostages are still alive in the Gaza Strip. Hirsch explained that there are currently 59 people in the hands of Hamas, 24 of whom are on the list of those still alive and 35 on the list of hostages whose deaths have been officially confirmed.

Netanyahu: "Surely 21 hostages alive, doubts about 3 others"

"We say with certainty that there are 21 hostages alive. There are doubts about three others." This was stated by Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu.

Trump will call the Persian Gulf the 'Arabian Gulf'

In addition, Trump will announce during his trip to Saudi Arabia next week that the US will henceforth call the Persian Gulf the 'Arabian Gulf' or the 'Gulf of Arabia', according to two US officials.

Arab nations pushed for a change in the geographical name of the body of water off Iran's southern coast, while Iran maintained its historical ties with the Gulf.

The two US officials spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. The White House and the National Security Council did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

The Persian Gulf has been widely known by this name since the 16th century, although the use of 'Arabian Gulf' or 'Gulf of Arabia' is dominant in many Middle Eastern countries. The government of Iran - formerly Persia - threatened to sue Google in 2012 over the company's decision not to label the body of water on its maps at all.

On Google Maps in the United States, the body of water appears as Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf). Apple Maps shows only Persian Gulf.

For years, the US military has unilaterally referred to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf in statements and published pictures.

The name of the body of water has become a sensitive issue for Iranians who recognise their country's long history as the Persian Empire. A quarrel broke out in 2017, during Trump's first term, when he used the name Arabian Gulf for the waterway. The then Iranian president, Hassan Rohani, suggested that Trump "study the geography".

Trump, 'developments on Gaza in the next 24 hours'

"There is a lot of talk about Gaza right now. You'll probably know something within the next 24 hours." This was said by Donald Trump responding to a question from reporters in tow about the possibility of presenting a new hostage deal proposal before he travels to the region next week.

World Central Kitchen suspends activities in Gaza: supplies run out

The NGO World Central Kitchen suspends its activity in providing meals in Gaza due to lack of supplies.

"After serving over 130 million meals and 26 million loaves of bread in the past 18 months," the NGO announces on X, "the World Central Kitchen no longer has the supplies to cook or bake bread in Gaza. The large-scale WCK field kitchens have run out of ingredients needed to prepare daily meals. Our mobile bakery, recently the last functioning bakery in Gaza, has no more flour. More than 80% of the community kitchens have run out of supplies provided by the WCK. Without ingredients or fuel, these kitchens cannot feed the families who depend on them. WCK trucks loaded with food and fuel for cooking have been ready at the Gaza border since the beginning of March. Additional food and equipment is ready to be shipped to the border from Jordan and Egypt. Our vital work cannot continue without Israel's permission for the entry of this aid. Our vital work cannot continue without Israel's permission for the entry of this aid. We continue to support Palestinian families by distributing vital drinking water wherever possible,' the organisation concludes.