GENEVA: A full-scale Israeli navy operation in Rafah would ship a dying blow to assist programmes in Gaza, the place humanitarian help stays “fully inadequate”, the UN chief warned Monday.
Talking earlier than the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Antonio Guterres stated that Gaza’s southernmost metropolis, the place greater than 1.4 million Palestinians are crowded collectively in tent cities, was “the core of the humanitarian help operation” within the Palestinian territory.
“An all-out Israeli offensive on the town wouldn’t solely be terrifying for greater than 1,000,000 Palestinian civilians sheltering there; it could put the ultimate nail within the coffin of our help programmes,” he stated.
His feedback got here after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday reiterated that his nation was intent on a floor invasion in Rafah, in its bid for “whole victory” over Hamas, whose October 7 assault triggered the conflict.
He stated that after a floor invasion occurs, victory could be simply “weeks away”, and {that a} potential ceasefire, being mentioned in Doha, would solely delay the operation.
The conflict that has been raging for greater than 4 months broke out after Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 assault, which resulted within the deaths of about 1,160 individuals in Israel, largely civilians, based on an AFP tally of official figures.
Hamas militants additionally took about 250 Israeli and overseas hostages, 130 of whom stay in Gaza, together with 31 presumed useless, based on Israel.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed a minimum of 29,692 individuals, largely ladies and kids, based on the most recent tally issued Sunday by the well being ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
– ‘Finish the bloodshed’ –
Guterres careworn Monday that “nothing can justify Hamas’s deliberate killing, injuring, torturing and kidnapping of civilians, using sexual violence — or the indiscriminate launching of rockets in direction of Israel”.
“And nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian individuals,” he stated.
Amid a spiralling humanitarian disaster, UNRWA, the primary UN help company for Palestinians, has urged political motion to avert famine in Gaza.
However Guterres careworn that “humanitarian help continues to be fully inadequate”.
“I repeat my name for a humanitarian ceasefire and the instant and unconditional launch of all hostages,” he stated.
He lamented that regardless of his pressing requires the UN Safety Council to take all measures to “finish the bloodshed in Gaza and stop escalation”, it had did not act.
As one in every of 5 everlasting members of the 15-member council, the USA — Israel’s greatest ally — has a veto that it has wielded 3 times to date to bar the physique from calling for an instantaneous ceasefire in Gaza.
Guterres warned of the implications of the council’s lack of motion on Gaza, and its failure, because of a Russian veto, to behave on the conflict in Ukraine.
This inaction “has severely — maybe fatally — undermined its authority”, he cautioned.
“The council wants severe reform to its composition and dealing strategies.”
Talking earlier than the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Antonio Guterres stated that Gaza’s southernmost metropolis, the place greater than 1.4 million Palestinians are crowded collectively in tent cities, was “the core of the humanitarian help operation” within the Palestinian territory.
“An all-out Israeli offensive on the town wouldn’t solely be terrifying for greater than 1,000,000 Palestinian civilians sheltering there; it could put the ultimate nail within the coffin of our help programmes,” he stated.
His feedback got here after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday reiterated that his nation was intent on a floor invasion in Rafah, in its bid for “whole victory” over Hamas, whose October 7 assault triggered the conflict.
He stated that after a floor invasion occurs, victory could be simply “weeks away”, and {that a} potential ceasefire, being mentioned in Doha, would solely delay the operation.
The conflict that has been raging for greater than 4 months broke out after Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 assault, which resulted within the deaths of about 1,160 individuals in Israel, largely civilians, based on an AFP tally of official figures.
Hamas militants additionally took about 250 Israeli and overseas hostages, 130 of whom stay in Gaza, together with 31 presumed useless, based on Israel.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed a minimum of 29,692 individuals, largely ladies and kids, based on the most recent tally issued Sunday by the well being ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
– ‘Finish the bloodshed’ –
Guterres careworn Monday that “nothing can justify Hamas’s deliberate killing, injuring, torturing and kidnapping of civilians, using sexual violence — or the indiscriminate launching of rockets in direction of Israel”.
“And nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian individuals,” he stated.
Amid a spiralling humanitarian disaster, UNRWA, the primary UN help company for Palestinians, has urged political motion to avert famine in Gaza.
However Guterres careworn that “humanitarian help continues to be fully inadequate”.
“I repeat my name for a humanitarian ceasefire and the instant and unconditional launch of all hostages,” he stated.
He lamented that regardless of his pressing requires the UN Safety Council to take all measures to “finish the bloodshed in Gaza and stop escalation”, it had did not act.
As one in every of 5 everlasting members of the 15-member council, the USA — Israel’s greatest ally — has a veto that it has wielded 3 times to date to bar the physique from calling for an instantaneous ceasefire in Gaza.
Guterres warned of the implications of the council’s lack of motion on Gaza, and its failure, because of a Russian veto, to behave on the conflict in Ukraine.
This inaction “has severely — maybe fatally — undermined its authority”, he cautioned.
“The council wants severe reform to its composition and dealing strategies.”
