UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday that negotiations over the current four-day “humanitarian pause” in Gaza should be continued and transformed into a “full humanitarian” ceasefire.
In a statement from his spokesman Stephane Dujarric, Guterres said the pause agreed to by Israel and Hamas made it possible to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, including its northern part, which has been under total siege for weeks.
He said the aid was “barely keeping up with the huge needs of the 1.7 million displaced people”. However, Guterres warned that the “humanitarian catastrophe” was worsening by the day. He claimed:
“The dialogue that led to the agreement must continue, resulting in a full humanitarian ceasefire, for the benefit of the people of Gaza, Israel and the wider region.”
He again appealed to Hamas for the immediate and unconditional release of the remaining hostages. The statement said:
“He urges all States to use their influence to end this tragic conflict and support irreversible steps towards the only sustainable future for the region: a two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side, in peace and security.”
Guterres thanked the US, Qatari and Egyptian governments for facilitating the humanitarian pause, Dujarric said, adding that the UN chief “recognises the crucial role of the International Committee of the Red Cross”. He added:
“The United Nations will continue to support these efforts in every possible way.”
A four-day humanitarian pause brokered by the US, Qatar and Egypt went into effect on Friday, temporarily halting Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Israel vowed to resume its attacks at the end of the pause, despite widespread calls to continue the pause or make it permanent. It has left open the possibility of extending the pause only if the hostage exchange continues.
Israel launched a massive military campaign in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on 7 October. Since then, at least 14,854 Palestinians have been killed, including 6,150 children and more than 4,000 women, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The official death toll in Israel stands at 1,200.
