Ankara: The Turkish Red Crescent has issued a call to the UN Security Council to put an end to Israel’s military operations against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The organization is urging the council to facilitate the operations of UN agencies and neutral humanitarian groups and to ensure that all border crossings remain open.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the appeal was made through open letters from Fatma Meri§ Yilmaz, President of the Turkish Red Crescent, addressed to the embassies of UN Security Council member states in Ankara. The letters call for immediate intervention to protect Gaza, suggesting the appointment of a UN envoy to engage all parties, and the involvement of neutral countries or organizations, including the Red Cross and Red Crescent, to supervise humanitarian missions.

Yilmaz emphasized the necessity of deploying a multinational force to safeguard relief and health workers, allowing them to perform their duties without interference. She noted that if the Security Council is unable to act, the General Assembly should take up the responsibility.

The Turkish Red Crescent’s message coincides with World Humanitarian Day, observed on August 19, to honor the contributions of relief workers in crisis zones. The organization highlighted this year’s theme, “Protect Humanity,” in response to the rise in attacks on humanitarian workers globally.

The Turkish Red Crescent reported that 2024 was particularly perilous for relief workers, with expectations that 2025 may be more challenging. In the first half of the year alone, 168 humanitarian workers were killed, with violence in Gaza significantly contributing to this figure. Since October 7, 2023, 508 relief workers have died, including 346 UN staff and 51 members of the Palestine Red Crescent Society.

The organization underscored the imperative of protecting humanitarian personnel as required by international humanitarian law, calling for an end to violence against them in both Gaza and worldwide. Yilmaz’s letters further stressed that the situation in Gaza is not merely a humanitarian crisis but also a challenge to international humanitarian law and global norms.