December 04, 2023 5:31 PM
UNITED NATIONS —
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his extreme alarm Monday about the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, including Hamas rocket fire on Israel and the renewal and expansion of Israel’s airstrikes and military ground operations into the southern Gaza Strip.
“The U.N. continues to appeal to Israeli forces to avoid further action that would exacerbate the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and to spare civilians from more suffering,” U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. “Civilians — including health workers, journalists and U.N. personnel — and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times.”
Guterres called on all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and renewed his call for a sustained humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza and for the unconditional and immediate release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas.
“The number of civilians killed is rapidly increasing,” said Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of UNRWA, the U.N. agency that assists Palestinians.
“Civilians, including men, women, children, older persons, the sick and people with disabilities, are the most to suffer,” Lazzarini said.
Israel vowed to destroy Hamas, which governs Gaza, after the militant group sent fighters rampaging into Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israel. Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and others, also took about 240 people hostage. More than 100 of the Israeli hostages have since been released, most of them during a weeklong truce agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Israel’s air and ground military operations in Gaza have killed more than 15,500 Palestinians, about 70 percent women and children, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.
Guterres also reiterated the need for an unimpeded, adequate and sustained flow of humanitarian assistance to people in the Gaza Strip. The U.N. said Monday that the current situation in Gaza is severely impeding its ability to address humanitarian needs.
More than 1.8 million Gazans are believed to be displaced by the fighting and Israeli evacuation orders. About 1.2 million of them are in 156 severely overcrowded U.N. shelters.
The U.N. humanitarian office said Monday that limited aid distribution, primarily of flour and water, took place Sunday in the Rafah governorate in Gaza. In the adjacent Khan Younis governorate, aid distribution largely stopped because of the intensity of hostilities.
“The Israeli authorities continue to restrict the flow of humanitarian supplies, including fuel, forcing the U.N. to only use the ill-equipped crossing point with Egypt,” Lazzarini said, reiterating his call for Israel to open more border crossings with Gaza for humanitarians.
Israel has told Palestinians in areas around the Gazan city of Khan Younis to evacuate to Rafah, farther south, near the border with Egypt. Many of them have been displaced more than once before from other parts of Gaza.
“The order created panic, fear and anxiety,” Lazzarini said, adding that it pushes people into an area less than one-third of the Gaza Strip.
West Bank boiling
Guterres also expressed alarm at the growing violence in the West Bank, including Israeli security operations, high numbers of fatalities and arrests, rising settler violence and attacks on Israelis by Palestinians, his spokesperson said.
According to the U.N. department of humanitarian affairs, since Hamas’ terror attacks on October 7, Israeli forces have killed 244 Palestinians, including 65 children, in the West Bank. Israeli settlers have killed another eight people, including one child.
The U.N. Security Council was due to meet in a closed session later Monday to discuss the collapse of the seven-day humanitarian truce and the halt to the release of Hamas-held hostages.
– editorials.voa.gov
– War Correspondent
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