UN chief calls for ceasefire in Gaza

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a ceasefire in Gaza following the suspension of the 12-day war between Israel and Iran.

The conflict between Israel and Iran has dominated headlines, but the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza must not be pushed into the shadows, said Guterres. "The ceasefire achieved between Iran and Israel offers hope. And hope is more needed than ever. So it is time to find the political courage for a ceasefire in Gaza."

Following the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas, Israeli military operations have created a humanitarian crisis of horrific proportions -- more dire today than at any point in this long and brutal crisis, he told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.

Families have been displaced again and again, and are now confined to less than one-fifth of Gaza's land. And even these shrinking spaces are under threat. Bombs are falling -- on tents, on families, on those with nowhere left to run. People are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families, he noted.

"Let me be clear: Israel, as the occupying power, is required by international law to agree to and to facilitate humanitarian relief," he said, noting that UN-led humanitarian operations continue to be strangled, Xinhua news agency reported.

For over three months, shelter materials and fuel for critical services have been blocked. Doctors are forced to choose who gets the last vial of medicine, or the last ventilator. Aid workers themselves are starving, he said. "This cannot be normalized."

A handful of medical supplies finally crossed into Gaza earlier this week -- the first from the United Nations in months. But this only underscores the vast scale of the crisis. A trickle of aid is not enough, he said. "What's needed now is a surge -- the trickle must become an ocean. We need concrete actions so aid can reach all people -- swiftly, at scale, wherever they are."

He cautioned that any operation that channels desperate civilians into militarized zones is inherently unsafe, referring to the aid operations of the US-run, Israel-approved Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. "It is killing people."

The problem of the distribution of humanitarian aid must be solved. There is no need to reinvent the wheel with dangerous schemes, he said. "We (the United Nations) have the solution -- a detailed plan grounded in the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence. We have the supplies. We have the experience. Our plan is guided by what people need. It is built on the trust of communities, donors and member states. And it worked during the last ceasefire. It must be allowed to work again."

It is time for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and full, safe and sustained humanitarian access, he said.

"To those in power, I say: enable our operations as international humanitarian law demands. To those with influence, I say: use it. To all member states, I say: uphold the UN Charter you recommitted to just yesterday for the 80th anniversary," said Guterres. "Let us bring in the life-saving supplies. Let us reach people where they are. And let us recognize that the solution to this problem is ultimately political."

The only sustainable path to re-establishing hope is by paving the way to the two-state solution. Diplomacy and human dignity for all must prevail, he said.