Posted by On Monday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres criticized attacks by Hamas and others on Israeli towns and villages near the Gaza border, which resulted in the deaths of over 800 Israelis and the injuries of over 2,500 others.
When asked by reporters in New York about the unusual occurrences in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Guterres said he had just finished a meeting of senior UN leaders.
He warned that more people will likely be killed or injured as long as the attacks continued and many people were still missing.
In addition, reports indicate that armed organizations have taken hostage at least 100 Israelis, both civilians and soldiers. This number may be higher.
“Some are being held hostage inside Israel, and many others have been taken inside the Gaza Strip,” Guterres warned.
into the same time, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have fired thousands of missiles into Tel Aviv and Jerusalem from all directions.
While acknowledging the Palestinian people’s legitimate grievances, Guterres emphasized that nothing could excuse the terror attacks or the kidnapping or murders of innocent individuals.
Again, I urge an immediate end to the attacks and the freeing of all captives.
Israel has responded to these extraordinary attacks by bombing Gaza with air strikes.
Reports of over 500 Palestinian deaths (including women and children) and over 3,000 injuries in Gaza have me extremely concerned.
The UN head expressed concern that the mounting death toll was a direct result of ongoing Israeli operations.
While the UN head acknowledged Israel’s reasonable security concerns, he also emphasized that all military operations must adhere strictly to international humanitarian law.
It is imperative that civilians always be treated with dignity and safety. Targeting civilian infrastructure is always unacceptable.
Guterres has stated that there have been reports of Israeli rockets hitting hospitals, apartment buildings, and even a mosque within Gaza.
I am extremely troubled by Israel’s decision to begin a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, with no supplies (including food and water) being allowed in.
Humanitarian conditions in Gaza were already exceedingly precarious before the current conflicts began, and they are expected to worsen dramatically as a result of them.
Access is essential for humanitarian workers, as is medical supplies, food, gasoline, and other necessities.
The United Nations will “continue efforts to provide aid in response to these needs,” Guterres said, adding that “relief and the entry of essential supplies into Gaza must be facilitated.”