Aid chief tells UN that US-backed Board of Peace is 'failing' Gaza

Aid chief Athena Rayburn has warned the UN Security Council that the US-backed Board of Peace is failing in Gaza. The organization, established by US President Donald Trump and given a mandate by the council in November, is enabling Israel's obstruction of humanitarian aid, Rayburn told the council. Israel is rejecting aid items such as scissors, crutches, wheelchairs, and prosthetic limbs as "dual-use" instruments.

The country has also barred specialized medical staff and placed severe restrictions on engine oil, making it cost 45 times its normal price. Israel has rejected watermelon and onions under an unpublished "humanitarian policy." The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, with at least 1,303 Palestinians killed since the supposed ceasefire began in October 2025.

The total Palestinian death toll since the genocide in October 2023 stands at 73,438. The Board of Peace has linked any Israeli withdrawal beyond the Yellow Line to Hamas disarmament, a stance rejected by Palestinians. Israel now controls more than 60 percent of Gaza, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aiming to increase this control to around 70 percent.

The UN high representative for Gaza warned of a "point of no return" if the Israel-Hamas ceasefire collapses, warning that a resumption of fighting would mean no roadmap to return, no administration to deploy, and nothing left on the ground to rebuild.