The level of suffering and destruction in Gaza in recent months has exceeded anything I have seen, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The Palestinian territory is in ruins, facing a humanitarian crisis, and most of its inhabitants have become internally displaced.
– UN will be ready to support any ceasefire (…) and anything the international community asks us to do – UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Monday in an interview with the Associated Press. However, he noted that the vision of the UN as an organization co-ruling Gaza or sending peacekeeping forces there is “unrealistic” because it will probably not agree to this Israel.
Guterres called for a ceasefire as soon as possible in the more than 11-month-long fighting.
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Crater after airstrikes in Gaza Strip PAP/EPA/HAITHAM IMAD
Humanitarian crisis
The war broke out after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing nearly 1,200 people and kidnapping 251. Some hostages are still being held. Israel's anti-Hamas offensive on the Gaza Strip has killed more than 41,000 people.
The Palestinian territory is in ruins, there is a humanitarian crisis, and most of the inhabitants have become internally displaced. Despite pressure USAceasefire negotiations have not progressed for weeks.
West Bank and Gaza StripPAP
The UN Secretary General stressed that the “only viable solution” for the region is a two-state solution, i.e. the creation of an independent Palestine alongside Israel. “This is a necessity if we want peace in the Middle East,” Guterres said. The two-state solution is supported by the US and the EU, among others, but the current Israeli government opposes it.
Main image source: PAP/EPA/HAITHAM IMAD