'How could anyone tolerate this sorrow': Palestinian UN envoy breaks down over deaths of Gazan children | Watch

Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour breaks down in tears

While an address to the UN Security Council, Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, broke down in tears as he described the "unbearable" suffering of Palestinian children amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

Mansour cited the case of Dr Alaa al-Najjar, a Palestinian doctor who lost nine of her 10 children after they arrived at the hospital where she worked, already dead and burned.

“Dozens of children are dying of starvation. The images of mothers embracing their motionless bodies, caressing their hair, talking to them, apologising to them, is unbearable. How could anyone tolerate this sorrow?" he said in a shaky voice.

Speaking from personal experience and pounding the desk in front of him, overcome with emotion, he said, “I have grandchildren. I know what they mean to their families. To witness the suffering of Palestinians, while the world remains unmoved, is beyond what any normal human being can endure."

'I have grandchildren. I know what they mean to their families.'Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour breaks down in tears as he addresses the UN Security Council on the situation in Gaza.https://t.co/FWLzrHNiwy Sky 501, Virgin 602 pic.twitter.com/CraYTAL05N

Sky News (@SkyNews) May 28, 2025

“Flames and hunger are devouring Palestinian children. This is why we are so outraged — as Palestinians everywhere, the 14 million of us, in the occupied territories, in the diaspora, in the refugee camps…" he further added.

“We love our children. We love our people. We don’t want to see them going through this tragedy and these savage attacks," he stated.

Israel launched an extended military campaign in Gaza after the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, which left 1,200 people dead in Israel and over 250 taken hostage.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the offensive has claimed the lives of over 54,000 Palestinians, marking the highest death toll in any conflict between the two sides.