UN Chief Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza Amid Escalating Conflict

By Staff, Agencies

The United Nations Secretary General has called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, condemning the ongoing devastation and loss of life as "inexcusable."

In a social media post on Monday, Antonio Guterres described the intense fighting in Gaza as "incomprehensible and inexcusable."

He emphasized the urgent need for political courage and will to reach a ceasefire agreement, stating, "It is high time for the parties to show the political courage and political will to finally reach a deal."

Guterres highlighted the dire situation in Gaza, asserting that nowhere is safe and that every location is a potential killing zone.

Earlier on Monday, the UN chief condemned an "Israeli" airstrike on the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis, a designated "humanitarian zone" for displaced Palestinians. He expressed being "shocked and saddened" by the attack, which underscored the lack of safe places in Gaza.

The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that at least 90 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed, and over 300 others were wounded in the "Israeli" airstrikes on the Al-Mawasi refugee camp on Saturday.

The UN's schools and shelters across the Gaza Strip are filled with displaced Palestinians seeking protection, although they know that no place is truly safe. "Israeli" forces have repeatedly targeted United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees [UNRWA] schools and shelters, leaving thousands homeless and causing numerous casualties and injuries.

On Sunday, "Israeli" forces targeted a UNRWA-run school in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least 15 people and injuring 80 others.

"This blatant disregard for international humanitarian law is evident as 190 UNRWA facilities in Gaza, most serving as shelters, have been damaged during the conflict, killing over 500 people inside them," said UNRWA spokesperson Tamara Alrifai. She added that more than 1,600 individuals have been injured in attacks on buildings protected by international law, as they seek shelter under the UN flag.

Over nine months into the "Israeli" war, large areas of Gaza are devastated and face severe shortages of essential supplies such as food, water, and medicine due to a crippling blockade.

The conflict has so far claimed the lives of nearly 38,664 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 89,097, leaving the territory in a state of utter devastation.