António Guterres once again called on Israel to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and for Hamas to release the hostages. The UN Secretary General was in Beijing to participate in the Third Belt and Road Initiative Forum. In his opening speech at the ceremony, Guterres stated that “the region is on the edge of a precipice.”
“Immediately before leaving for Beijing, I made two urgent humanitarian appeals: to Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release the hostages, and to Israel to immediately allow access to humanitarian aid to meet the basic needs of the people of Gaza – The vast majority are women and children,” the UN Secretary General began by saying.
António Guterres considered that “56 years of occupation” of Gaza “does not justify the terror of Hamas”: “I am fully aware of the deep grievances of the Palestinian people, after 56 years of occupation. But, however serious these grievances are, ” They cannot justify the acts of terror against civilians committed by Hamas on October 7, acts that I immediately condemned. But these attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
The Islamist movement Hamas blamed Israel for Tuesday’s attack on Al Ahli Anglican Episcopal Hospital, and the Israeli military blamed Islamic Jihad. The UN Secretary General says he is “horrified.”
“I am horrified by the hundreds of people who have died in Gaza’s Al Ahli hospital following an attack that I strongly condemned today. I call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to provide enough time and space to help realize my two calls and alleviate the epic human crisis. “We are witnessing suffering. Many lives and the fate of the entire region are at stake. May the spirit of this meeting help those in need find peace,” he concluded.
Source: TSF
