UN Secretary General António Guterres recently echoed his plea for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. In light of his visit to Egypt close to Rafah, he urged for the cessation of violence and for Israel to allow unobstructed delivery of aid into the occupied territories. Additionally, he appealed for the release of hostages held by Hamas.
Following a conversation with UN humanitarian workers, Guterres expressed the heartbreaking reality of meeting injured Palestinian civilians at the General Hospital in El Arish, stating, “you cannot avoid feeling heartbroken… and to clearly say ‘we must silence the guns’, we need an immediate ceasefire in Gaza”.
Detailing the impact of aid delays, Guterres on his social media shared his concern about the worsening situation and its broad impacts across the region. He declared these continual interruptions to aid as a “moral outrage” and stated it’s “time to flood Gaza with lifesaving aid”. His statement comes at a critical time, as the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Famine Review Committee reveals current statistics, indicating that over a million Palestinians are facing starvation, with “half of Gaza experiencing catastrophic food insecurity”.
In the same vein, militia groups Al-Quassam and Al-Quds Brigades claim that an Israeli hostage has died due to starvation and lack of medicine, exacerbated by these aid delays.
In yet another public statement, Guterres maintained that, “Nothing justifies the horrific attacks by Hamas. Nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. It’s time for a humanitarian ceasefire, a commitment by Israel for unfettered access for humanitarian goods throughout Gaza, and the release of all hostages”.
These calls by the Secretary General come hot on the heels of Russia and China’s veto of the US-led resolution for a ceasefire. They failed to acquiesce to the draft due to certain disagreements, although it emphasized the critical need for an “immediate and sustained ceasefire” to allow for aid distribution and secure the release of hostages.
For more details, visit the original news here.