All United Nations Security Council members, except for US, call for ceasefire and aid into Gaza

Fourteen of the 15 United Nations Security Council members - four permanent ones and 10 that rotate - are demanding a ceasefire and aid to be let into Gaza, calling the situation a "famine".

The United States was the only holdout.

"We express our profound alarm and distress at the IPC data on Gaza published last Friday - it clearly and unequivocally confirms famine in Gaza," the Guyanese ambassador, speaking on behalf of the group, told reporters at UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday.

"We stand in front of you, especially disturbed by the levels of acute malnutrition among children in Gaza. We note that at least 41,000 children are at heightened risk of death from malnutrition between now and June 2026. This is a man made crisis. The use of starvation as a weapon of war is clearly prohibited under international humanitarian law. Famine in Gaza must be stopped immediately. International humanitarian law must be respected," Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett said.

"We call for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. We call for the immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups. We call for a substantive surge of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza," she stressed.

"Israel must immediately and unconditionally lift all restrictions on aid delivery. This includes opening all land routes and allowing the UN and humanitarian partners to operate safely and at scale. Humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence must be central to humanitarian action," Rodrigues-Birkett continued.

"We call on Israel to immediately reverse its decision to further expand its military operation in Gaza with the aim of taking over Gaza City. This decision, which we reject, will inevitably worsen the already horrific humanitarian situation and endanger the lives of all civilians, including the hostages".