Chicago – March 23, 2024
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a renewed plea for a quick cease-fire in Gaza.
“It is time to silence the guns,” he stated, speaking from the Egyptian side of the Rafah entry into the enclave.
He also urged Israel to provide “total, unfettered” access to humanitarian supplies throughout Gaza.
According to a UN-backed food security report released this week, 1.1 million people in Gaza are experiencing catastrophic hunger and malnutrition. It further stated that a man-made famine in the north was imminent between now and May.
Mr. Guterres, who stated that he had traveled to Rafah “to highlight the pain of Palestinians in Gaza,” was speaking a day after Russia and China rejected a US draft resolution submitted to the UN calling for a ceasefire linked to the release of hostages held in Gaza.
“It is time to flood Gaza with life-saving supplies genuinely. “Blocked relief trucks on the Egyptian side of the border are a moral outrage,” said Mr Guterres, who also urged the release of Israeli detainees.
Speaking to BBC Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega, Mr Guterres asked Israel to remove hurdles to humanitarian delivery.
Western countries and relief organizations have chastised Israel for its inspection process, which has been blamed for delaying the arrival of desperately needed assistance.
