GENEVA 

The international system is "failing” morally and politically in Gaza as Israel is preparing to attack the city of Rafah – the last remaining shelter for hundreds of thousands of civilians and the backbone of international aid deliveries – said Türkiye’s envoy to the UN in Geneva on Monday.

"We must remain united and pursing the issue of Gaza in international fora. We must remain united on exerting pressure on the occupying power, engaging with the key international actors and providing guidance and support the UN system, starting with a durable cease-fire," Turkish Ambassador Guven Begec told an event organized by Palestine in Geneva, where the Human Rights Council is meeting.

Calling last month’s interim International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision a "milestone," he warned that the risk the ongoing conflict could spill over into a larger regional war "is real."

On funding cuts to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees or UNRWA over a handful of staffers being accused of involvement in attacks on Israel, he said that punishing the agency only added to the harm to Gaza civilians, who are protected under international law.

During the event, representatives of mostly Islamic countries as well as Finland, Norway, France, and other European countries called for an end to humanitarian suffering in Gaza and urged a cease-fire and access to humanitarian aid.

Norway said the Israeli attacks cannot be tolerated and must have consequences.

France also stressed the importance of reaching guarantees to protect the life of all civilians by reaching a cease-fire, and stressed that attacking Rafah would lead to "dire consequences."

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice over its deadly onslaught on the Gaza Strip, which has left nearly 30,000 people dead.

In an interim ruling in January, the Hague-based court ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.