UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Monday that he was “extremely alarmed” by the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, and called on Israeli forces to avoid actions that worsen the “already catastrophic” humanitarian situation in Gaza. .
Guterres’ position was shared by his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, who launched a new call for all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.
“The Secretary-General is extremely alarmed by the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Gaza on December 1, including the firing of rockets towards Israel from Gaza and the resumption of ground operations and the intensification of airstrikes by the Israel Defense Forces, increasingly in southern Gaza,” states the statement released by Dujarric.
Urging Israel to prevent Palestinians from suffering further suffering, Guterres recalled that civilians, including health professionals, journalists and UN staff, as well as civilian infrastructure, must be protected “at all times.”
The former Portuguese Prime Minister once again called for an “unhindered and sustained” flow of humanitarian aid to meet the needs of the population throughout the Gaza Strip, highlighting that people who were once again forced to move “do not have a safe place to go.” and very little to survive”.
The UN leader also remains deeply concerned about the escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank, including the intensification of Israeli operations, the high number of deaths and arrests, the increase in settler violence and attacks on Israelis by part of Palestinians.
“The Secretary-General reiterates his call for a sustained humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional and immediate release of all remaining hostages,” the same statement said.
The United Nations Security Council will meet today for closed consultations on the situation in Gaza and Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo will brief Member States on her recent trip to the region .
The meeting was called by the United Arab Emirates, citing the “deeply worrying resumption of hostilities” and the dire humanitarian situation in the enclave.
Israeli Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said Sunday that his forces were expanding operations in the southern Gaza Strip, an area where ground troops had not yet entered.
The ongoing war in the Middle East began on October 7, following an attack by the armed wing of Hamas, which included the launching of thousands of rockets into Israel and the infiltration of some three thousand fighters that killed more than 1,200 people, in its majority civilians. and kidnapped another 240 in Israeli villages near the Gaza Strip.
In retaliation, the Israel Defense Forces led a relentless offensive by air, land and sea in that Palestinian enclave, which faces a serious humanitarian crisis due to the collapse of hospitals and the lack of shelter, drinking water, food, medicine and electricity.
The authorities of the Gaza Strip, controlled by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas since 2007, today raised the death toll in the Israeli offensive to almost 15,900, while more than 250 Palestinians died at the hands of forces in Tel Aviv or in attacks carried out by settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since October 7.
The sides ceased hostilities for a week under a truce brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, but fighting returned on Friday following a failure to extend the deal.
Source: TSF
