UN Secretary-General António Guterres has demanded that Hamas release all hostages and that Israel allow aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip. The Middle East is “on the edge of the abyss,” he warned.
Faced with a Middle East “on the brink of the abyss,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urgently called for the immediate release of hostages kidnapped by the Islamist Hamas and rapid humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip. “Each of these two goals is legitimate,” Guterres said. “They should not become bargaining chips and they must be implemented because it is the right thing to do.”
The Gaza Strip was “running out of water, electricity and other essential supplies,” Guterres said. The UN has stocks of food, water, medical supplies and fuel in Egypt, Jordan, the West Bank and Israel that could be sent “within hours.” However, UN personnel must be “able” to bring these supplies safely and without disruption to the Gaza Strip and distribute them throughout the Palestinian territory.
WHO also appeals to both sides
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, made a similar statement. The WHO is calling on Hamas to “release the civilian hostages,” said Tedros, according to a statement. In addition, the WHO “continues to call on Israel to adhere to its obligations under international law to protect the civilian population and health facilities.”
The WHO chief called Hamas’ attacks “unjustified and appalling.” They are “barbaric and should be condemned.” At the same time, he was “very concerned about Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians.”
Hundreds of thousands on the run
Tedros said he also fears that “calling on 1.1 million people to move from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip within such a short time frame will lead to a humanitarian tragedy.” According to the Israeli military, more than 600,000 residents of the Gaza Strip have now made their way south.
The Palestinian organization Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip, launched a major attack on Israel on October 7th. It fired thousands of rockets and invaded Israel with hundreds of fighters. Hamas fighters carried out bloodbaths in several towns in southern Israel and kidnapped people into the Gaza Strip, including several Germans.
In response, the Israeli army put the Gaza Strip under constant fire and completely sealed off the Palestinian territory. The delivery of fuel, food and drinking water was stopped. According to Israeli sources, water supplies were restored in the south of the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
Israel also called on residents in the north of the Gaza Strip to flee to the southern part of the coastal strip. The Israeli army says it is preparing for a ground offensive in the Palestinian territory.