UN Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned the airstrikes that hit tents sheltering displaced people in Rafah on Sunday, expressing deep sorrow over the images of the dead and wounded, including many children, and stressing the urgent need to stop “the horror and suffering immediately.”
In a statement attributed to his spokesperson, the Secretary-General expressed sadness over the deaths of more than 36,000 Palestinians and around 1,500 Israelis in ongoing violence, including “the heinous terrorist acts committed by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Israel on October 7, 2023, the devastating Israeli attack on Gaza, and the continued indiscriminate rocket fire towards Israel.”
He highlighted that the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is exacerbated by the dire possibility of a man-made famine.
Guterres reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages. He referred to the recent orders from the International Court of Justice, which he stated are binding and must be adhered to.
The Secretary-General emphasized the need for Israeli authorities to allow and facilitate the prompt, safe, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need, and stressed the importance of opening all crossings.
He added that humanitarian organizations must have unobstructed access to deliver aid to all civilians in need throughout Gaza.
“We must work quickly to restore security, dignity, and hope to the affected populations. This will require urgent efforts to support and strengthen the new Palestinian government and its institutions, including preparing the Palestinian Authority to resume its responsibilities in Gaza.
We must also move forward with concrete and irreversible steps to create a political horizon,” Guterres said.
He added that the devastation and misery witnessed over the past seven months have reinforced “the absolute need for Israelis, Palestinians, regional countries, and the broader international community to take urgent steps enabling the parties to re-engage in the long-awaited political process towards achieving a two-state solution, which the UN will continue to support.”
On May 24, the International Court of Justice issued a ruling demanding Israel to immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah and any other actions in the southern Gaza governorate that could impose living conditions on the Palestinian population that might lead to its total or partial physical destruction.
