UN chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday asserted that no party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law as he expressed deep alarm over the 바카라relentless bombardment바카라 of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip by Israeli forces and appealed to all to 바카라pull back from the brink바카라 before the violence escalates even further.
"The situation in the Middle East is growing more dire by the hour. The war in Gaza is raging and risks spiralling throughout the region. Divisions are splintering societies. Tensions threaten to boil over,바카라 Guterres told a Security Council ministerial meeting on the Middle East.
"On this UN Day, at this critical hour, I appeal to all to pull back from the brink before the violence claims even more lives and spreads even farther,바카라 he said.
The meeting, held under the Brazilian President of the Council, was attended by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Israel바카라s Minister for Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen, Palestine바카라s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad Al-Maliki, Brazil바카라s Minister for Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira and France바카라s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna among others.
Guterres said he is deeply concerned about the 바카라clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza.
"Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law."
Reiterating his appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, Guterres said even war has rules and stressed that the international community must demand that all parties uphold and respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.
He also highlighted the need to take constant care in the conduct of military operations to spare civilians; and respect and protect hospitals and respect the inviolability of UN facilities which today are sheltering more than 600,000 Palestinians.
"The relentless bombardment of Gaza by Israeli forces, the level of civilian casualties, and the wholesale destruction of neighbourhoods continue to mount and are deeply alarming,바카라 Guterres said.
The UN chief underscored that the protection of civilians is paramount in any armed conflict.
바카라Protecting civilians can never mean using them as human shields. Protecting civilians does not mean ordering more than one million people to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine and no fuel, and then continuing to bomb the south itself,바카라 he said.
Guterres바카라s remarks were a reference to Israel바카라s ultimatum this month that Palestinians in Gaza relocate to the strip바카라s south following the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants.
Guterres, while condemning unequivocally the 바카라horrifying and unprecedented바카라 acts of terror by Hamas in Israel on October 7, said that it is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas 바카라did not happen in a vacuum바카라.
바카라The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing,바카라 he said.
Guterres, however, stressed that the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. 바카라And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.바카라
The UN chief said an immediate humanitarian ceasefire would ease the 바카라epic suffering바카라 and make delivery of aid in Gaza easier and safer.
He termed the humanitarian relief that is finally getting into Gaza as 바카라a drop of aid in an ocean of need.바카라
He voiced concern that UN fuel supplies in Gaza will run out in a matter of days, bringing another disaster. 바카라Without fuel, aid cannot be delivered, hospitals will not have power, and drinking water cannot be purified or even pumped. The people of Gaza need continuous aid delivery at a level that corresponds to their enormous needs. That aid must be delivered without restrictions.바카라
Guterres underlined that even in this moment of grave and immediate danger, 바카라we cannot lose sight" of the only realistic foundation for true peace and stability in the Middle East - a two-state solution.
바카라Israelis must see their legitimate needs for security materialised, and Palestinians must see their legitimate aspirations for an independent State realised, in line with United Nations resolutions, international law and previous agreements,바카라 he said.
Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland told the Council that the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza has reported over 5,000 Palestinians have been killed so far, including over 2,000 children and 1,100 women as well as journalists, medical workers and first responders, with more than 15,000 injured.
Authorities estimate that hundreds more lay dead or injured under the rubble as rescue efforts languish amid continuous airstrikes. Over 1 million Palestinians have been displaced.
He said that evidence emerging from the October 7 attack by 바카라Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups바카라 on Israel revealed a sickening killing spree, designed to terrorise, with appalling scenes of brutality, massacres and hostage-taking, including against infants and young children.
In all, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups killed over 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals 바카라 the bloodiest attack in Israel바카라s history, he said. This includes over 1,000 civilians, many of them women and children, and over 360 security forces personnel. Over 5,400 Israelis were injured.
At least 220 civilians, including women and children, as well as soldiers, were abducted and taken into the Strip as hostages. While not confirmed, Hamas has said that 22 hostages were killed by Israeli strikes,바카라 Wennesland said.
Echoing the Secretary-General바카라s appeal for a humanitarian ceasefire, Wennesland said the risk of a significant further deterioration of the situation in the occupied West Bank or spillover of the conflict in the region remains significant.
