Why hasn’t the United Nations stepped in to halt the devastating violence in Gaza, where over 52,535 deaths and 118,491 injuries have been reported as of May 2025?
The scale of this humanitarian crisis, marked by widespread displacement and civilian suffering, demands urgent action.
Yet, despite its legal authority under the Genocide Convention to prevent and punish such acts, the UN appears paralyzed.
International law clearly mandates intervention in humanitarian crises, but the global body’s response remains limited, leaving many in the Muslim world questioning why the cries of Palestinians go unanswered.
The UN Security Council, tasked with maintaining global peace, holds the power to impose sanctions or authorize interventions.
However, political divisions and vetoes by permanent members often block decisive measures.
While UN Special Rapporteurs have issued urgent reports detailing human rights violations in Gaza, and the UN Relief Chief has briefed the Council on the need for action as recently as early 2025, consensus remains elusive.
“If we don’t act now, we risk witnessing a full-scale genocide,” warned a UN expert in a statement last month, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
Despite these stark warnings, no significant steps, like deploying peacekeeping forces, have been taken.
Beyond internal UN challenges, the international community’s response is equally fragmented.
Some states debate whether Israel’s actions—criticized for collective punishment—meet the legal definition of genocide, delaying any unified stance.
Although diplomatic efforts persist, they’ve proven ineffective against the backdrop of ongoing violence.
Humanitarian aid access is severely restricted, with starvation used as a weapon of war, leading to dire shortages of food and water for Palestinians.
Over 2.1 million Palestinians are at risk of famine, with one in five facing starvation.
While some experts have proposed sanctions on Israel to pressure policy changes, these ideas haven’t gained traction, and concerns about complicity through inaction grow louder within Muslim communities.
The toll on civilians, especially children and aid workers, is staggering, with thousands displaced and unable to return home.
The UN Special Rapporteur’s report has concluded there are reasonable grounds to believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, underscoring the urgency for intervention reasonable grounds.
The international community has called for increased aid to Gaza, but funding and delivery fall short of needs.
Political polarization further complicates matters, as advocacy for Palestinian rights faces resistance from certain states.
As debates drag on, the suffering in Gaza deepens, and the UN’s legal power to act remains untapped.
For many in the Muslim world, the question lingers: how much more devastation must occur before the world’s conscience awakens to stop this crisis?