Last week, the UN Security Council called for comprehensive humanitarian aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip in a painstakingly negotiated resolution. In the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas, all sides must enable the “safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid on a large scale,” it said. However, the resolution did not call for an immediate ceasefire.
The Gaza war with the most casualties to date began on October 7th with the unprecedented attack on Israel by the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas. Hundreds of Hamas fighters committed atrocities; according to Israeli figures, around 1,140 people were killed and 250 others were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip. 129 hostages are still in the Palestinian territory.
In response to the attack, Israel has since attacked the Gaza Strip. According to the latest figures from the Hamas Ministry of Health, which cannot be independently verified, more than 20,900 people have been killed so far.
Kaag has been deputy head of government and finance minister in the Netherlands since January 2022. She previously held various senior positions within the UN, including working as special representative for Lebanon and for the joint UN-Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) mission to destroy chemical weapons in Syria.
