In a recent statement, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres confirmed the death of 136 UN staff members in Gaza amidst the ongoing war, marking an unprecedented event in the history of the organization. Speaking on the website “X” this Saturday, Guterres revealed that these deaths occurred over a span of 75 days, an occurrence not previously witnessed in the history of the United Nations.
Guterres added that the majority of the UN staff in Gaza were forced to leave their homes due to the conflict. He expressed his admiration and commendation for these individuals and the thousands of relief workers risking their lives to support civilians in Gaza.
The conflict, which erupted on October 7 between Israel and the Hamas movement controlling the Gaza Strip, followed attacks carried out by Hamas on areas and towns surrounding Gaza. According to Israeli authorities, these attacks resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the abduction of around 240 people, who were then transported to the Gaza Strip.
In response, Israel has launched continuous airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, leading to the deaths of about 20,000 people, mostly women and children, as reported by the health authorities of the Gaza Strip. These strikes have also devastated the region’s infrastructure and resulted in a complete blockade of the area.
The recent Gaza war has resulted in significant humanitarian challenges and controversies. The United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution calling for urgent steps to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza, creating conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities. However, this resolution was seen as insufficient by Amnesty International, given the ongoing destruction and high death toll. Over 20,000 have been killed since early October 2023, and Amnesty has called for an immediate ceasefire to alleviate civilian suffering and address the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The United States had vetoed two previous draft resolutions calling for a halt in the fighting, and the resolution that was passed had been significantly watered down to avoid another US veto.
