The Security Council is meeting in New York for its annual open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict amid mounting concern over rising civilian casualties, attacks on humanitarian workers and widespread destruction of homes and critical infrastructure in wars around the world. 

 

The UN's top humanitarian for crisis response told ambassadors one civilian was killed every 14 minutes last year. Follow live below from our Meetings Coverage team.  

 

In Palestine, "those [for whom] the rules were made to protect are the ones being indiscriminately attacked – publicly and repeatedly", said Majed S. F. Bamyathe of the State of Palestine.

 

In just four months, more children were killed in the Gaza war than in the previous four years across the world, he said.

 

In the last three years, he said, over half of humanitarian personnel were killed in Palestine.

 

Among the journalists killed in 2024-2025, two thirds were killed in Palestine.

 

“Take a moment to think about the reality I’m describing,” he said.

 

 Since the ceasefire was announced, almost 900 Palestinians have been killed.  Millions are still suffering. 

 

"Either we proclaim that Palestinians are lesser human beings, not entitled to civilian protection," he said, "or we proclaim the rules do not apply to Israel - and accept that Palestine becomes ground zero for the death of international law."   

 

 

 

 

“Our nation is in a state of shock and disbelief at the scale of human suffering we witness every day in Palestine,” said Edil Baisalov, Special Envoy of the President of Kyrgyzstan, where tens of thousands of civilians have been killed, including - unbearably - well over 15,000 children.

 

In addition, never in history have so many media workers lost their lives in a single conflict in such a short period of time.

 

"Journalists are civilians," he said.  They are protected under international humanitarian law.

 

“Targeting, intimidating or killing them strikes at the very foundation of truth, accountability and humanity.”

 

Full implementation of resolutions 2286 (2016) and 2573 (2021) is essential.

 

Civilian protection must be closely linked to preventive diplomacy.  He pressed the international community to act early - "before entire generations are traumatized by destruction and hatred".

 

The Council also should make greater use of the Peacebuilding Commission to address the root causes of poverty, exclusion, weak institutions, lack of trust, climate pressures and growing inequalities.  - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/21 May 2026 - - -