UN head António Guterres reiterated his call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on Monday and urged action to avoid further “preventable” deaths.
“Yet even though Ramadan has begun – the killing, bombing and bloodshed continue in Gaza. My strongest appeal today is to honor the spirit of Ramadan by silencing the guns – and removing all obstacles to ensure the delivery of lifesaving aid at the speed and massive scale required.”
Guterres also called for the “immediate release of all hostages” captured by Hamas during the 7 October attack.
We have witnessed month after month of civilian killing and destruction at a level that is unprecedented in all my years as Secretary-General.
The UN chief stated that humanitarian aid to Gaza was “coming in tricks – if it comes at all” and that the “international humanitarian law lies in tatters.”
“For months, leaders have appealed for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the immediate release of all hostages. But the most compelling calls have come from the families of the victims of this war.”
Guterres appealed to all parties to the conflict to “hear and heed” the voices of victims’ families, and also addressed Sudan, reiterating the call for “a Ramadan cessation of hostilities” there. He stated that “it is time for peace” in Gaza, Sudan and beyond.
The fighting there must end for the sake of the Sudanese people who face hunger, horrors and untold hardships.
The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which began in April 2023, has killed thousands of people, displaced millions and caused a food security crisis.
Afterwards, Israel launched a retaliatory offensive against the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack on 7 October led by the Palestinian group Hamas. Since then, more than 31,100 Palestinians have been killed, with over 72,700 others injured in Gaza amid widespread destruction and shortages of basic necessities.
Israel faces genocide charges at the International Court of Justice. An interim order issued in January demanded that Tel Aviv cease acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee the provision of humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.
