Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York
11 August 2025
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
**Journalists/Gaza
All right, good afternoon.
Just starting off, yet again, with the situation in Gaza. We all saw that yesterday, colleagues of our Al-Jazeera friends here, who were working in Gaza, were victims yet again of the conflict.
I can tell you that the Secretary-General condemns the killing of the six Palestinian journalists in an Israeli strike in Gaza City on 10 August. These latest killings highlight the extreme risks that journalists continue to face when covering this ongoing war. The Secretary-General calls for an independent and impartial investigation into these latest killings.
At least 242 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began. Journalists and media workers must be respected, they must be protected, and they must be allowed to carry out their work freely, free from fear and free from harassment.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Meanwhile on the ground, our humanitarian colleagues report that in an especially disturbing update today, that the Ministry of Health in Gaza confirmed that the number of children who have died from malnutrition since October 2023 has now surpassed 100.
The World Food Programme said that more than a third of the population is not eating for days at a time and acute malnutrition is spiking with over 300,000 children at severe risk. Additionally, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned last week that a mere 1.5 per cent of cropland in Gaza is both accessible and undamaged, signalling a near-total collapse of the local production of food.
Yesterday, we and partners collected food and hygiene kits from the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing. However, supplies were offloaded directly from these trucks before reaching their destination given the extreme desperation pervasive in Gaza today.
People need a predictable lifeline, not a trickle of aid. The World Food Programme says that just to cover basic humanitarian food assistance needs, more than 62,000 metric tons are required to enter Gaza every month, and so far, humanitarians have not been permitted to bring in enough supplies to support the Palestinians there.
We can confirm that we collected fuel from the Kerem Shalom crossing yesterday. The Israeli authorities are allowing, on average, the entry of about 150,000 litres of fuel daily. However, this remains far below the minimum required to sustain life-saving operations.
For example, the Palestine Civil Defense organization warned yesterday that more than half of their ambulances have stopped operating across Gaza, due to the shortage of fuel and the shortage of spare parts which are not allowed to come in.
Israeli authorities must allow aid to enter through all crossings and via all available corridors so that we can deliver, at scale in a safe and in a dignified manner, the humanitarian aid that is so desperately needed.
A ceasefire is urgently needed to save lives. This would allow and speed up delivery of food for the hungry, health services for the sick and wounded, and shelter materials for displaced people, who have been forced to flee repeatedly since the onset of the hostilities, and that would also allow for the release of the remaining hostages who are being held in Gaza.
**Security Council/Gaza
Yesterday you saw that there was a special meeting at the Security Council. Briefing from our end was Miroslav Jenča, the Assistant Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. He expressed our extreme concern following the Israeli decision to expand military operations in Gaza. He said that if these plans are implemented, they will likely trigger yet another calamity for the people of Gaza. He underscored the need for a full, immediate, and permanent ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
For his part, Ramesh Rajasingham, the Director of Coordination Division at OCHA, spoke about the horrific humanitarian conditions which we have been telling you about almost on a daily basis.
**Lebanon/Israel
Moving north, to southern Lebanon.
Our peacekeepers located there tell us that they continue to observe Israel Defense Forces military activities in southern Lebanon, including air violations by drones and shelling from the south of the Blue Line with three impacts in Sector West of the peacekeeping missions just yesterday.
UNIFIL also continues also to find unauthorized weapons and ammunition caches in its areas of responsibility. Yesterday our peacekeepers found a cache in Sector East containing approximately 120 rockets and mortar shells, anti-tank mines, anti-personnel mines and fuses. The day before, UNIFIL discovered another cache also in Sector East, with mortar rounds, with mines, with rifles and ammunition. As per usual practice, all of these weapon finds were referred to the Lebanese Army Forces.
The work of the peacekeepers and the Lebanese Armed Forces are doing is dangerous.
To illustrate that point, you will have seen that on Saturday six Lebanese Armed Forces soldiers were killed and several others injured during the inspection and retrieving of explosives near Zibqin in southern Lebanon. Our peacekeeping colleagues in southern Lebanon extended their condolences to the Lebanese Armed Forces and to the families of the fallen soldiers also wishing a speedy recovery to those who were injured.
In a statement following the incident, UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General [Diodato] Abagnara stressed that peacekeepers will continue to support the Lebanese Armed Forces and their work in an effort to restore stability to southern Lebanon.
**Sudan
Turning to the extremely dire situation in Sudan, where civilians are continuing to endure a deepening crisis with ongoing attacks, acute hunger and with starvation. Our Director of Operations and Advocacy at OCHA, Edem Wosornu, who is in the region, today expressed alarm over reports from the besieged city of El Fasher that more than 60 people died from malnutrition in just one week, and most of them, as one can imagine, belong to vulnerable groups such as women and children.
Ms. Wosornu is going to visit West Darfur State this week, and we expect to hear more from her upon her return to New York, and we will try to bring her here to you in this room.
As you are aware, famine was first detected in North Darfur State in the Zamzam displacement camp about a year ago and is expected to have expanded to other areas since.
Meanwhile, we continue to be gravely concerned by ongoing violence in the Kordofan region, including reports last week of attacks on some villages in North Kordofan State. Eighteen civilians were reportedly killed, with dozens more wounded. We once again underscore, and it is tragic that we need to underscore this on a regular basis, that civilians must never be targeted, and all parties must uphold their obligations under international law and under international humanitarian law.
On the health front, we and our humanitarian partners continue to scale up the response to the cholera outbreak they we are seeing in Sudan. There were nearly 100,000 cases have been recorded since July of last year.
In Khartoum State, a new vaccination campaign began yesterday, targeting 1.1 million people, with support from our colleagues at the World Health Organization.
In North Darfur State, more than 5,300 suspected and confirmed cases, with 84 related deaths, have been reported by local partners since 21 June, most of them in the Tawila locality, where 330,000 people displaced from Zamzam Camp and El Fasher are sheltering, as one can imagine, in some of the most dire conditions.
Our partners on the ground are responding through cholera treatment centres, but overcrowding, poor sanitation, limited access and the ongoing rainy season are accelerating the spread of the disease and hampering the delivery of aid.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our peacekeeping mission there tell us that yesterday, in the town of Gina in Ituri province, our peacekeepers responded to reports of gunfire in the town centre. Our colleagues have a temporary operating base in Gina.
Upon hearing of the gunfire in town, they sent a patrol which encountered an incursion by armed men from the CODECO militant group. Our peacekeepers fired deterrent rounds, prompting the assailants to retreat. In coordination with a second patrol, the UN Mission secured the Gina town centre and market area, where six civilians, three women, two men and one child were reportedly killed. Five of them inside a shop. Four others were also injured.
UN peacekeepers provided first aid and evacuated the wounded to a local health centre. Following the attack, civilians gathered at the Temporary Operating Base to seek protection and shelter.
The UN Mission has since intensified patrols in the area to deter further violence and to try to reassure the population.
**Ukraine
Turning to Ukraine, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that this morning and also over the weekend, hostilities in front-line regions killed and injured several civilians, including children. That's what local authorities at telling us.
In the Kherson Region, a drone strike on a public bus on Saturday reportedly killed two people and injured 16. Across the region, dozens of casualties were also reported, along with damage to multiple residential buildings. In the Zaporizhzhia Region, casualties were reported after a glide bomb strike damaged a central bus station, a health facility and apartment blocks. In Kharkiv, civilians, including children, were injured when a preschool and multiple homes were hit.
And in the Dnipro, attacks caused casualties, damaged multiple houses and other civilian facilities.
Authorities also said that mine incidents in the Odesa, Kharkiv and Sumy regions killed and injured civilians, underscoring the ongoing threat that mines continue to pose across Ukraine, including in coastal areas.
And as the security situation worsens, authorities expanded mandatory evacuations for families with children in parts of Donetsk and Dnipro. Over the past three days, 4,600 people, including 240 children, were evacuated from front-line areas in the Donetsk Region. Aid workers in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions provided medical, psychological and emergency shelter support, along with meals and blankets, to people impacted by the recent attacks.
**Armenia/Azerbaijan
You will have seen over the weekend we issued a statement in which the Secretary-General welcomed the comprehensive "Joint Declaration" signed on Friday by President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia together with President Donald Trump of the US as an important milestone in the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The Secretary-General applauded the commitment of President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan to sustained dialogue and confidence-building, and recognized the efforts of President Trump in facilitating this progress. He reaffirmed the strong support of the United Nations for all efforts to advance lasting peace in the South Caucasus.
**Afghanistan
Turning to Afghanistan. The latest update on the human rights situation in that country, covering the period from April to June 2025, points out that the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has received various reports of the de facto authorities impeding women's right to work, despite publicly affirming that Islam permits women to work and to be entrepreneurs.
Based on monitoring by the UN Mission's Human Rights Service, the update also notes that in May, dozens of women working for the United Nations were subjected to explicit death threats from unidentified individuals in relation to their work with the UN Mission and other UN agencies, funds and programmes. This required us to implement interim measures to protect the safety of our colleagues.
According to the update, in subsequent engagements with the de facto authorities, they informed the UN Mission that their personnel were not responsible, however an investigation by the de facto Ministry of Interior is under way.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan also noted that the de facto authorities' monitoring of women's adherence to the hijab instruction appeared to have intensified in some parts of the country. The update also mentioned recorded incidents of gender-based violence against women and girls, including cases in which officials of the de facto authorities were accused of being both perpetrators of forced marriage and enforcing forced marriages.
The full report which is worth the read is online.
**Security Council
Back here, the Security Council held a High-Level Open Debate on Maritime Security: "Prevention, innovation and international cooperation to address emerging challenges". Briefing the Council via videoconference was the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Dominguez. He stressed that the safety and security of the maritime sector is fundamental to economic stability, sustainable maritime development and to livelihoods.
His remarks were shared with you.
**Guest tomorrow
Tomorrow, my guest will be Ulrika Richardson, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Haiti. She will be here in person to speak to you about Haiti, and I think this will be her last briefing on Haiti. As you know, she is supposed to take up a post in Libya.
**Steelpan Day
Today is a very musical international day. Any guesses? World Steelpan Day, yes. The steelpan is a musical instrument originating in Trinidad and Tobago [...] It possesses cultural and historical significance and correlates to cultural, social and economic development.
I'd like to have one to introduce me every day I step up to the podium.
Edie.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you, Steph. First, does the Secretary-General have any comment on the death today of Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe, who was shot at a rally in the main city two months ago and was a potential presidential contender?
Spokesman: We extend our condolences to the senator's family, to his friends. And as you recall, we strongly condemned the assassination attempt when it took place, and I do expect a more formal statement to be issued shortly.
Question: And secondly, you talked about in Al Fasher that there were, I think, 68 starvation deaths. How did the UN get those figures since apparently, Al Fasher is supposed to be totally surrounded by...
Spokesman: Through our partners we remain in touch with on the ground.
Question: Thank you.
Spokesman: Lets go to our guest, because we are polite people. But you need to turn on your microphone.
Question: Okay. Thank you, Stéphane. I appreciate it. Two quick questions. You said, you called for an investigation into the assassination of our colleagues in Gaza. There's been, of course, 237 journalists that have been killed. Who would conduct this independent investigation? And how would the UN go about ensuring that it will happen? Second, the UN has... [cross-talk]
Spokesman: Let me... Okay. My brain power is limited. Look, if you, as your colleague knows, we do it one step at a time. Accountability tragically takes time, especially in conflict, but accountability needs to happen. We've seen it in other recent conflicts where it sometimes takes a long time to find accountability. How such an investigation will take place in the middle of a conflict is difficult to say, but there are various options, but there will need to be accountability for what happened.
Your second question?
Question: My second question.
Spokesman: Your microphone, please.
Question: Sorry. My second question is on genocide. The United Nation has a definition as to what genocide is. Can you tell us if what's going on in Gaza, what Israel has been doing in Gaza, falls short of that definition?
Spokesman: For the Secretary-General, for a conflict to be labelled as genocide, it needs to be a decision of a court. Right? There is very clear legal language in the convention on genocide. Labels aside, I think the Secretary-General has been extremely clear and extremely direct in calling out what has happened, the killings of civilians in Gaza repeatedly, and how it needs to stop, and how, again, there will need to be accountability for the crimes committed during this conflict.
[phonetic] Morad?
Question: Thank you, Stephane. Now the war in Gaza is the deadliest conflict for journalists.
Spokesman: Is it what?
Question: The deadliest.
Spokesman Yes, yes.
Question: The deadliest for journalists in the modern times. Do you think the actions and the positions by the international community, including the UN, are arising to the level of such a situation?
Spokesman: My question to you, Morad, is which UN are you speaking about? Right? I think we leave it to you and other journalists to comment and analyse what the Security Council has been doing, what the General Assembly has been doing, what the Human Rights Council has been doing, and what the Secretary-General has been doing. I think the Secretary-General has been very much engaged. The whole UN Secretariat system and the funds and programs and agencies and our colleagues who remain on the ground, our Palestinian colleagues who remain on the ground, our international colleagues who remain on the ground, have been dedicated to trying to help the people of Gaza. The Secretary-General's advocacy and his contacts have continued to be very clear in trying to find an end to this conflict, to try to get more humanitarian aid in and to try to get the hostages released.
Pam, then Benno, then Abdelhamid, and then we'll go to Sinan.
Question: Thanks, Steph. You've many times talked about the UN staying in Gaza. Given the plan and the increase in the violence and deaths, does the UN have a plan to remove any of the staff?
Spokesman: We continue to look at the security situation on a day by day basis, adjust our international footprint as needed. Right now, we remain in Gaza, but let's, I think, we focus, we talk about our international presence, but let's not forget our Palestinian colleagues who remain there trying to do work while themselves being hungry, while themselves are also trying to focus on feeding their families.
Question: Just a follow-up. UNICEF had developed and still, I think, has the temporary learning spaces since most of the schools have been destroyed in Gaza. Do you know if that's still operational?
Spokesman: I mean, UNRWA has been, obviously leads in the education sector. They have tried to do online and do set up centres that are, I mean, learning, I think, is a big word within an ongoing conflict, but at least spaces where children can be. And I hate to use that word, distracted in a way, but to try to find some moments away from the conflict.
Benno?
Question: Thank you, Steph. That already happened on Friday, but I think it wasn't asked. Also about Gaza, the German Government did halt weapon sales to Israel if these weapons can be used in Gaza. Is that the kind of pressure the Secretary-General wants to see in Israel?
Spokesman: Look. I think we've been very clear about weapon sales, because I think you and your colleagues have asked us. It is very important that those countries that export weapons ensure that, and they have a responsibility on how those weapons are ultimately used. And I think the German Government looked at the situation and took the decision they made.
Question: So you think it's helpful?
Spokesman: I think pressure on the parties needs to be exercised on all fronts to ensure that the parties come to an agreement to end this conflict.
Abdelhamid, then Sinan, then Gabriel.
Question: Thank you, Steph. Going back to the same question about investigating the killing of the journalist. You don't investigate when the killer admits his crime. Israel issued a statement saying we killed him, targeting him, and they accused him a silly, of course, accusation that he's a member of Hamas. So where the investigation comes in, if the killer of the... [cross-talk]
Spokesman: Well, I think there needs to be, for every act of violence, there also needs to be individual accountability.
Question: My second question is about the killing, also, of a famous Palestinian soccer player. He's 41 year old. He is nicknamed Pele of Palestine. His name is Suleiman al-Obeid. Are you aware of this crime also?
Spokesman: I mean, we saw the tragic news of his killing, as I understood it, while trying to get food.
Sinan?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. I have a question on Syria. Footage from security cameras at the hospital in the city of Sweida in southern Syria published Sunday showed that a medical worker was killed by a military person. What's the Secretary-General's reaction to this?
Spokesman: Those reports are extremely disturbing, that such attacks and such violence could take place in a hospital, against health care workers. We saw and took note of the statement by the leadership in Damascus today that they would investigate fully, and we look forward to the results of that investigation. And again, for those persons responsible for what is seen in that video, be held to account.
Question: A quick follow-up. You said the local government will do, investigate this case. Doesn't the Secretary-General think this investigation should be by the international community?
Spokesman: I think things need to be done at one step at a time. The government in Damascus, right, the interim authorities have a responsibility to keep all of their people safe, regardless of their religion, their ethnic background, or any other factor. That is the responsibility of any Government vis a vis its people. So let's do it one step at a time. Let them do the investigation because it is their responsibility, and let's see what the results are.
Gabriel and then Dezhi.
Question: Thank you, Steph. Does the Secretary-General acknowledge that journalists are protected under the Geneva Convention and that killing them is a war crime?
Spokesman: The Geneva Conventions are clear. They should always, always be respected.
Question: So, some commander within the Israeli military gave the orders to murder these journalists. The Secretary-General feels that this investigation should identify any perpetrators?
Spokesman: There needs to be personal accountability for what's happened in this conflict as to what's happening in other conflicts that we're seeing around the world, including in Sudan.
Question: And you said that investigations take time.
Spokesman: I said accountability takes time.
Question: Accountability, I'm sorry. Accountability takes time. And I think back to May 2022 when Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli soldiers. They initially denied it, but an internal Israeli investigation concluded that it was a high probability that an Israeli soldier killed Shireen Abu Akleh. Independent investigations confirmed it. My question is: no one was ever brought to justice for that. And so how are we supposed to have any confidence that now there's going to be some investigation that will change it?
Spokesman: I think pressure and advocacy needs to be kept up.
Question: And my last point, Steph, if I may. Question, I'm sorry. The question is more journalists have been killed by Israel in Gaza in 22 months than the number of journalists killed in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Viet Nam War combined. How is Israel allowed to get away with this?
Spokesman: I will refer you to what I said. There will need to be accountability. There needs to be accountability, and there needs to be individual accountability.
Dezhi.
Question: On Gaza City, according to your description, I believe the military offensive of Israel on Gaza City hasn't started yet. Is that correct?
Spokesman: I do not report on military. I mean... [cross-talk]
Question: Yep.
Spokesman: The conflict is ongoing.
Question: Okay. But the Israeli authority will tell the UN. Would that be correct, if they started that?
Spokesman: You would need to ask them?
Question: So you are not sure if they really started that. UN will receive...?
Spokesman: I mean, I can't answer for them.
Question: Okay. Yesterday, just prior to the Security Council meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu also had a press conference. And he said that to take Gaza City is the best way to end the war and the best way to end it speedily. It's not what we heard from many Member States.
Spokesman: It's not what you heard from Mr. Jenča yesterday, who said there is no military solution.
Question: Why this idea is wrong?
Spokesman: Because there, I mean, this conflict needs to be settled through diplomacy. Right? There's been enough killing. There's been enough suffering. It needs to end, and the military solution, we feel, is not the way to end this conflict.
Question: It seems, if you prolong this, it will be more people got killed, isn't it?
Spokesman: Dezhi, I leave that to your deep analysis. I think we've made our point.
Abdelhamid.
Question: Going back to the investigation, can we just bring one example that Israel put somebody to account during its system?
Spokesman: That's a question for you. I'm not your, with all due respect, I'm not your research assistant. I think you can answer that question. You can do the research.
Question: My second question related to that. Killing 242 journalists, as you just said, is it worth holding a special session of the Security Council, in the opinion of the Secretary-General? Would the Security Council, in respect of those victims, hold a special session on protection of journalists?
Spokesman: That will be a decision of the Security Council. We strongly feel that journalists provide an essential service to the world, to policymakers in order to chronicle what is happening in this conflict and any other conflict. And what we're seeing here in this conflict is a lack of access to journalists. Right? Because the Israelis say something, Hamas says something, we say something, and the only way for people to actually know what is going on the ground is for journalists to be able to do their work freely.
Question: Thank you, Steph. Despite all the criticism and the condemnation from international community, but nothing seems to have stopped Israel from executing its plan to take over Gaza Strip, Gaza City. So under such circumstances, what can the United Nations do to, what actions would the United Nations take next to deal with this situation? Thank you.
Spokesman: We will continue to push, to support, and to advocate for a negotiated settlement. In the meantime, our colleagues on the ground, our international colleagues, and most importantly, our Palestinian colleagues will do whatever they can to try to help the people of Gaza to survive, but that is becoming increasingly and increasingly difficult.
You may, if you turn on your microphone.
Question: Thank you. Just to follow-up on Abdelhamid's question. So, obviously, Israel doesn't listen to anyone, does not allow any journalists and so on. My question is, why not, for the Secretary-General to take the initiative and call maybe a 100 journalists or 50 journalists to go in with him and go to Gaza, demand that they go in Gaza, including you, including the people in this room, maybe others who want to join in and so on, to actually see what is going on the ground.
Spokesman: Secretary-General has not been able himself to go to Gaza.
Question: Why not?
Spokesman: He's not been granted the permission. Okay. Yeah. The closest we got was Rafah. Morad and then Benno.
Question: Thank you. Israel claimed that the Al Jazeera correspondent, Anas al Sharif, was a member of Hamas. Al Jazeera dismissed these accusations, and Anas himself denied it before his assassination. Does the UN have any information that deny or confirm these claims?
Spokesman: I see Iftikhar waving his hand at me. Go ahead, Iftikhar.
Question: Thank you, Steph. Thank you for noticing me. And yesterday, at the Security Council emergency meeting on Israeli plans to take over Gaza, several delegations proposed a deployment of international protection force in Gaza. Does the Secretary-General feel that at this stage, such a move would be helpful in saving Palestinian lives?
Spokesman: Obviously need to be a mandate from the Security Council. I think what we first need is a ceasefire, an agreement from the parties to stop the fighting. And then the Secretary-General and the UN is ready and willing to support the best possible solution to help rebuild Gaza and to help Palestinians, Israelis to return to a path of dialogue.
Thank you.
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