UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter, a rarely used provision, to warn the Security Council of an impending "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza and urge an immediate cease-fire. Article 99 allows the secretary-general to bring attention to matters that threaten international peace and security. Guterres believes that the humanitarian system in Gaza is collapsing and warns of a complete breakdown of civil order. Arab and Islamic nations have called for a humanitarian cease-fire, but the US, with veto power, has not supported it. Guterres sees a looming disaster with possible epidemics and mass displacement of Palestinians.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter to formally warn the Security Council about the global threat posed by Israel's war on Gaza. Guterres has been calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, but the Security Council has yet to adopt a resolution due to differences between permanent members. Article 99 allows Guterres to call a meeting of the Security Council on his own initiative to address threats to international peace and security. While it gives him the right to speak at the Security Council, it does not grant him the power to force the adoption of a resolution. The use of Article 99 in the past has had mixed results and has not brought lasting peace. Israel's ambassador to the UN criticized Guterres's move, accusing him of bias against Israel.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has invoked Article 99 of the U.N. charter for the first time, citing the severe risk of a collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Guterres warned of a worsening situation, including epidemic diseases and pressure to send displaced civilians to surrounding countries. He called on the Security Council to avert a humanitarian catastrophe and urgently appealed for a cease-fire to restore the means of survival and ensure the safe delivery of aid to Gaza.
