UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, emphasized today, Saturday, in a speech at the Rafah crossing that Palestinians, including children, women, and men, are living “an endless nightmare.”
Guterres arrived in the Egyptian city of Rafah “bearing the voices of the vast majority of countries tired of what is happening” in Gaza, where “homes have been destroyed, families and entire generations have perished, amidst a siege besieging the population.”
The UN Secretary-General stressed that “nothing justifies Hamas attacks on October 7, nor Israeli collective punishment of the Palestinian people.” He emphasized that “the time has come for an immediate ceasefire for humanitarian reasons, as it’s heartbreaking to see trucks standing on one side of the crossing while famine looms on the other,” considering the prevention of aid entry a moral disgrace.
Guterres warned that “any further attack will worsen the situation for Palestinian civilians, hostages, and all peoples of the region,” referring to Israel’s plan to invade Rafah, which has faced international rejection.
He added, “It’s time for Israel to strictly allow aid to reach all parts of Gaza, as well as to release all prisoners.”
Guterres arrived earlier on Saturday at El-Arish Airport in northern Sinai, in a visit aimed at renewing calls for a ceasefire in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas for more than five months, which has caused massive destruction in Gaza.
His visit comes as Israel threatens a major military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, on the border with Egypt, despite international calls to prevent such an attack.
Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents seek refuge in Rafah. Despite conditions being worse in the northern part of the Strip, civilians’ plight across Gaza has sharply worsened amid ongoing conflict.
Guterres visits El-Arish in northern Sinai, Egypt, where much of the international relief aid for Gaza is delivered and stored, and the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, one of the aid entry points.
Philip Lazarini, the Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), warned on Friday that humanitarian supplies entering Gaza are woefully inadequate, cautioning that more people could die due to the “siege” unless a ceasefire is reached and aid flows allowed.
He called for “a meaningful and uninterrupted flow of vital commercial and humanitarian supplies, and the opening of more land crossings with increased working hours.” He also stressed the daily need for aid to reach northern Gaza, including UNRWA aid.
