NEW YORK, July 28 (UPI) —
Following an emergency midnight session, the United Nations Security Council issued a presidential statement early Monday calling for an "immediate and unconditional" cease-fire in order for humanitarian assistance to be delivered to Gaza.
Rwanda’s Ambassador to the U.N. and current UNSC President Eugene Richard Gassan posted on Twitter that the 15-member Council:
— “expresses grave concern regarding deterioration in situation as a result of crisis related to Gaza and loss of civilians and casualties;
— “calls for full respect of international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilian population;
— “reiterates the need to take appropriate steps to ensure the safety and well-being of civilians and their protection;
— “expresses strong support for the call by international partners and U.N. secretary-general for an immediate and unconditional humanitarian cease-fire;
— “civilian and humanitarian facilities, including of U.N., must be respected and protected an all parties to act consistently with this principle;
— “calls on parties to engage in efforts to achieve a durable and fully respected cease-fire, based on the Egyptian initiative;
— "urged all parties to accept and fully implement the humanitarian cease-fire into the Eid period and beyond."
The Security Council’s statement follows U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s call on Sunday for all parties to extend a humanitarian cease-fire.
As of Saturday, 1,139 Palestinians and 45 Israelis have died in fighting that began July 19.
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