According to IRNA, DiCarlo issued the call while briefing the 15-member UN Security Council about the latest situation in war-ravaged Gaza and the occupied West Bank on Wednesday evening local time.

She hailed the continued efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States to establish a ceasefire in Gaza, saying recent meetings in Doha and Cairo have attempted to bridge the gaps, but major differences remain.

More steps must be taken to reach an agreement without further delay. The United Nations remains committed to supporting all efforts to this end, DiCarlo said, warning that “the situation on the ground is dire and deplorable, with Israeli military operations continuing throughout Gaza and the death toll growing tragically”.

The UN Deputy Secretary General also touched on a large-scale Israeli offensive in the occupied West Bank that began over a week ago.

While we focus on ending the killing and destruction in Gaza, we cannot ignore the alarming situation in the West Bank, she said, emphasizing the need to maintain status quo of holy places in occupied al-Quds.  

I am worried about the attacks Israeli settlers are carrying out against the Palestinians as well as provocative actions of an Israeli minister, this senior UN official stated, calling them “unacceptable”.

DiCarlo said that Israel must fulfill its obligations based on international laws to protect civilians and ensure their safety, and all perpetrators of violence must be held to account.

OCHA sounds alarm over West Bank

The UN Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator also addressed the Security Council meeting and expressed concern over the number of dead Palestinians in Gaza.

96 percent of Gaza residents are facing high levels of acute food insecurity, and nearly half a million people are facing catastrophic hunger, Joyce Masoya told the council.

On the occupied West Bank, she said: The Israeli army has started its biggest military operation which coincides with the escalation of attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians.

We are concerned about human casualties due to the extensive Israeli operation in the West Bank, Masoya said, urging the Security Council to use its influence and press for accountability of violations as well as help implement the ceasefire in Gaza and peace in the West Bank.

Representatives of several UNSC member states also addressed the meeting on the situation in the Middle East on Wednesday night. 

Algeria: UNSC fails to implement resolutions

In his address, Algeria's ambassador and representative to the United Nations, Ammar bin Jame condemned blamed the Security Council for failing to implement its resolutions to stop the Israeli war on Gaza and said “we face a test regarding our adherence to international law and this multilateral system”.

We are here today because diplomacy has failed and how could we stop the suffering, he said, adding that there should be no double standard while assessing civilian suffering as Israel continues with "mass punishment" and seeks to "erase" Palestinian identity.

The Algerian diplomat also pointed to the alarming number of civilian deaths and massive destruction in Gaza.

He also reminded the council that the Israeli occupying forces have killed 24 Palestinians in detention centers since October last year.

UK shows pro-Israel bias at UNSC

The British ambassador to the United Nations in the meeting on the situation in the Middle East stressed that Israel and Hamas should end the suffering by reaching a ceasefire agreement.

Barbara Woodward, however, once again showed her double standard and bias in line with her country’s policies as she expressed sympathy with Israelis over the recent deaths of Zionist captives in Gaza but failed to utter a similar word for Palestinians being massacred by the regime.

Without referring to Israel's crimes during the past decades, she pointed to the operation Al-Aqsa Storm by the Palestinian resistance groups on October 7, 2023 and ironically blamed Hamas, not the Zionist regime for violating international humanitarian laws. This is while, Israel since its creation, has not followed any of the UN resolutions on Palestine and the occupied territories.

Woodward also did not miss the occasion for Iran rhetoric, claiming Israel is still facing threats, not only from Hamas, but also from Iran and its “proxy groups” that openly want to destroy Israel.

US blames Hamas not Zionist regime

Linda Thomas Greenfield, the American ambassador and representative to the United Nations called for pressure on Hamas to accept the prisoner exchange agreement.

As usual, the US envoy putting a blind eye to briefings by UN officials on killings and a dire situation in Gaza gave a clean chit to the Zionist regime for its crimes against Palestinians and rather focused her speech on Hamas and its resistance ideology.

None of the members of this council will tolerate the hostage-taking and killing of their citizens, she said, without blaming the Zionist regime’s genocidal military campaign that has claimed nearly 41,000 civilian lives in Gaza in over 10 months.