United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday that Gaza had become “a killing field,” blaming Israel for blocking aid and failing in its “unequivocal obligations” to meet the needs of the Palestinian territory’s residents.
“More than an entire month has passed without a drop of aid into Gaza. No food. No fuel. No medicine. No commercial supplies. As aid has dried up, the floodgates of horror have re-opened,” Guterres said in remarks to journalists.
Pointing to the Geneva Conventions governing treatment of people in war, he emphasized the obligation of the “occupying power” to ensure the provision of food and medical supplies to the population.
“None of that is happening today. No humanitarian supplies can enter Gaza,” he said.
“The Israeli authorities newly proposed ‘authorization mechanisms’ for aid delivery risk further controlling and callously limiting aid down to the last calorie and grain of flour,” Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.
He was referencing recent Israeli proposals over controlling aid into Gaza, which a UN source told AFP included monitoring calories to prevent misuse by Hamas.
“Let me be clear — we will not participate in any arrangement that does not fully respect the humanitarian principles — humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality,” he said, demanding guarantees for the unhindered entry of aid to the coastal territory.
Guterres also raised the alarm about the situation in the West Bank.
“The current path is a dead end — totally intolerable in the eyes of international law and history,” he said.
“And the risk of the occupied West Bank transforming into another Gaza makes it even worse.
“It is time to end the dehumanization, protect civilians, release the hostages, ensure lifesaving aid, and renew the ceasefire.”
