New York – SABA:
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep shock on Thursday at the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, warning that “the last remaining lifelines are about to collapse” due to Israel’s continued closure of the border crossings.
In a statement delivered by UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres said he was horrified by the growing catastrophe, noting that dozens of Palestinians had been killed or injured in recent Israeli attacks on shelters and civilians seeking food.
He strongly condemned the loss of civilian life and highlighted that around 30,000 Palestinians were newly displaced this week alone following mass Israeli evacuation orders issued in a single day.
The Secretary-General stressed the severe lack of shelter, food, medicine, and clean water, describing the situation as a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe.
“The rules of international humanitarian law are clear. Civilians must be protected, and their needs must be met,” he said.
Guterres also warned that no fuel has been allowed into Gaza for over 17 weeks, placing the last survival mechanisms on the brink of collapse. Without urgent fuel delivery, he said, infant incubators will stop working, ambulances will cease to function, and water purification will halt.
He added that the extremely limited humanitarian aid the UN and its partners can currently provide in Gaza will come to a complete halt without fuel.
The Secretary-General reiterated his call for full, safe, and sustained humanitarian access, stressing the UN has a plan ready to deliver vital assistance safely and at scale, based on humanitarian principles.
He urged all parties to comply with their obligations under international law and renewed his call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire.
Since October 7, 2023, with American and European support, Israel has continued its genocidal war on Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least 57,130 Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children, and injuring 135,173 others, according to incomplete figures. Thousands remain trapped under rubble or in inaccessible areas.