In a statement released by his spokesman, Guterres called on Israeli forces to avoid further actions “that would worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and prevent further suffering for the civilian population.”
The population, including health workers, journalists and United Nations employees, as well as the civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times, emphasized the head of the organization.
At the same time, he warned of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into Israel as well as ground operations and the intensification of air strikes by the Israeli armed forces increasingly south of the Gaza Strip.
At the same time, he reiterated the need for a “sustained and unimpeded flow of humanitarian assistance to meet the needs of the population throughout the Gaza Strip.”
There is no safe place and little chance of survival for people who have been ordered to evacuate, the High Representative complained.
The Secretary-General warned of the escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank, including the intensification of Israeli security operations, the high number of deaths and arrests, the increase in settler violence and attacks by Palestinians on Israelis.
The text insisted on calling for a permanent humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional and immediate release of all remaining hostages.
The day before, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called for the weapons to be silenced and dialogue between the parties to the conflict in Gaza to be resumed.
The brutal resumption of hostilities in Gaza and its frightening impact on the civilian population underscore once again the need for an end to the violence and a political solution based on the only sustainable long-term foundation: full respect for the human rights of Palestinians and Israelis. the representative said in a statement.
Hundreds of thousands of people remain at risk of being bombed and deprived of food and other essential goods in the north of the Gaza Strip, he warned.
Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli shelling since hostilities resumed on Friday, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
On that day, the entry of aid into Gaza via Rafah was also completely blocked.
As a result, already limited relief efforts in Gaza have largely ceased, leading to a renewed collapse of overstretched vital services.
ro/ebr