UN Chief Warns of ‘Present-Day Catastrophe’ In Gaza as Israeli Strikes Escalate

HAMILTON (Canada), Aug 28 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday warned of the devastating consequences of Israel’s military actions to take over Gaza City, while raising alarm over the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave.

“Israel’s initial steps to militarily take over Gaza City signal a new and dangerous phase,” Guterres said at the UN headquarters in New York, cautioning that expanded military operations would have devastating consequences.

He said hundreds of thousands of civilians, already exhausted and traumatised, would be forced to flee yet again, plunging families into deeper peril. “This must stop,” he stressed, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.

Condemning recent Israeli strikes, Guterres pointed to attacks earlier this week at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

“One attack was followed by another, killing civilians, including medical personnel and journalists carrying out their essential work.

“These attacks are part of an endless catalogue of horrors. There must be accountability,” he said.

On the humanitarian situation, he said, “The levels of death and destruction in Gaza are without parallel in recent times. Famine is no longer a looming possibility; it is a present-day catastrophe. People are dying from hunger. Families are being torn apart by displacement and despair. Pregnant women are facing unimaginable risks.”

He stressed that systems sustaining life, including food, water and health care, had been systematically dismantled. “These are the facts on the ground,” he said.

Guterres described Gaza as “piled with rubble, piled with bodies, and piled with examples of what may be serious violations of international law. And they are the result of deliberate decisions that defy basic humanity.”

He said Israel, as the occupying power, had clear obligations to ensure the provision of food, water, medicine and other essentials, and to facilitate far greater humanitarian access.

“It must protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. And it must end the destruction of that which is indispensable for the survival of the civilian population,” he added.

Referring to binding measures of the International Court of Justice, Guterres said Israel must allow unfettered humanitarian and medical assistance throughout Gaza. “Day after day, our efforts are being blocked, delayed and denied. This is unacceptable,” he said.

He also warned of escalating risks in the West Bank, citing military operations, settler violence, demolitions and discriminatory policies as factors increasing displacement and vulnerability.

“The recent approval of a plan for the construction of thousands of settlements in the E1 area would effectively separate the northern and southern West Bank, an existential threat to the two-state solution,” he said.

The UN chief reaffirmed that Israel’s settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem are a violation of international law.

“There is no military solution to the conflict. Starvation of the civilian population must never be used as a method of warfare. Civilians must be protected. Humanitarian access must be unimpeded. No more excuses. No more obstacles. No more lies,” he said.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU