UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his concern about any Israeli military operation in Rafah, stating that the attack would have disastrous humanitarian consequences.
“America must be clear,” he demanded during an interview broadcast by Al Arabiya on the program “The Diplomatic Street,” urging the United States to prevent Israel from attacking Rafah. He stated, “America must be clear and prevent Israel from attacking Rafah.”
He also regarded the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) as the cornerstone of assistance in Gaza, affirming the United Nations’ commitment to UNRWA’s neutrality principles. He appealed to all donor agencies to resume aid to UNRWA.
Guterres expressed hope that the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza and the prisoner exchanges would continue. Meanwhile, Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the United Nations, stated on Friday that the international organization’s investigators, who are looking into Israeli accusations that 12 UNRWA staff participated in the Hamas attack on October 7, had closed a case file due to lack of evidence provided by Israel. He added that the investigators had suspended three other cases.
The investigation conducted by the Office of Internal Oversight Services continues in the remaining eight cases. Regarding the tension between Hezbollah and Israel in southern Lebanon, the UN Secretary-General emphasized the need to avoid escalation in Lebanon to prevent a full-scale war.
“Discussions with the Houthis have been obstructed,” Guterres said regarding the situation in Yemen.
It is noted that the war on October 7 erupted after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel, killing 1,170 people, according to a count by Agence France-Presse based on official Israeli figures. In response, Israel vowed to “eliminate” Hamas and has since launched an intense bombing campaign and a wide-ranging ground attack, resulting in the deaths of more than 34,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, causing massive destruction and a severe humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip.
