UN Security Council voices alarm over humanitarian deaths in Gaza, urges investigation and removal of aid barriers

The UN Security Council expressed alarm over attacks on humanitarian workers in Gaza and warned of the threat of famine in the war‑torn enclave.

Why it matters: Council members highlighted the April 1 air strikes that killed 17 members of World Central Kitchen and said the attacks brought the number of humanitarian workers killed in Gaza to at least 224 — more than three times any other single-year conflict recorded in the transcript. Ambassadors urged accountability and emphasized the need for a full, transparent and comprehensive investigation into the incident, while acknowledging Israel's initial acceptance of responsibility.

In a statement, Security Council members "reiterated their deep concern over the rising death toll, the catastrophic humanitarian situation, and the threat of imminent famine in Gaza" and "called for the immediate lifting of all barriers to the delivery of humanitarian aid at scale," the transcript says. The statement did not specify legal mechanisms or a timeline for lifting those barriers.

The remarks were conveyed in a Security Council statement reported by Matt Wells of UN News.