Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, strongly criticized what he referred to as the collective punishment inflicted on Palestinians by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking at a pan-Arab summit in Bahrain’s capital, Guterres described the conflict as a severe and ongoing affliction that could escalate beyond the local region.
The UN chief characterized the situation as deeply troubling and without justification, highlighting the alarming casualty figures among Palestinian civilians.
He urgently called for a halt to the hostilities and emphasized the need for immediate humanitarian intervention in Gaza. Guterres also expressly opposed the idea of any Israeli military operations targeting the Rafah crossing in Gaza, labeling such actions as unacceptable.