The United Nations has evoked a rare charter to demand a ceasefire in Gaza.
In a letter, Secretary-General António Guterres cited Article 99 in Chapter XV of the UN Charter which states the UN “may bring to attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion, may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.”
“Nowhere is safe in Gaza,” the letter says. “We are facing a severe risk of collapse of the humanitarian system. The situation is fast deteriorating into a catastrophe with potentially irreversible implications for Palestinians as a whole and for peace and security in the region… I reiterate my appeal for a humanitarian ceasefire to be declared. This is urgent.”
This is a rare move but the United Nations cannot make Israel do anything any more than it could stop the U.S. from launching a war in Iraq.
