UN Chief Denounces Israel’s Massacre of Gaza Aid Seekers
(MENAFN) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sharply condemned the recent massacre of aid recipients in the Gaza Strip on Monday.
Addressing the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, Guterres said, "Over the weekend in Gaza, we saw yet more mass shootings and killings of people seeking UN aid for their families, an atrocious and inhumane act, which I utterly condemned."
Emphasizing the inextricable connection between peace and development, he warned that ongoing global conflicts are increasingly obstructing progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
"That is why we must keep working for peace in the Middle East," Guterres stated.
Focusing on the dire circumstances in Gaza, he underscored the urgent need for "an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of all hostages," alongside calls for "unimpeded humanitarian access" to the territory.
The Gaza Health Ministry reports that since October 2023, 86 individuals—including 76 children—have succumbed to hunger and dehydration. The Government Media Office of Gaza issued a stark warning that the area is "on the brink of mass death" after more than 140 days of near-total closure of all border crossings.
Guterres also highlighted the critical importance of maintaining a ceasefire between Iran and Israel and achieving a " just and lasting peace in Ukraine."
"We need an end to the horror and bloodshed in Sudan," he added, drawing attention to conflicts spanning from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia to the Sahel region and Myanmar.
Since October 2023, Israeli military operations have resulted in the deaths of nearly 59,000 Palestinians in Gaza, predominantly women and children. The continuous bombardment has devastated the enclave, brought its healthcare infrastructure to the brink of collapse, and generated famine-like conditions.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel is also confronting a genocide lawsuit filed at the International Court of Justice related to its military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
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