The United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday, October 25 defended his position on Hamas against attacks on Palestinians in the ongoing Gaza conflict.
His appeal comes amidst Gaza Strip after Israeli airstrikes killed more than seven hundred people in a single day and hospitals began to shut down for lack of fuel.
In a statement, the UN Chief supported Palestine noting that the attacks on Palestinians cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
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“Those horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” Guterres noted.
Notably, earlier this month the UN Chief while condemning the attacks by Israeli, further cupped it with a violation of the international Law.
Moreover, the UN Chief said the bombardment and blockade of Gaza amounted to the “collective punishment of the Palestinian people” and violated international law, comments that sparked a fierce row with Israel.
Pressure on Guterres
On the other hand, a section of Israel’s envoy to the UN called for his immediate resignation.
The envoy led by Gilad Erdan, accused him of being detached from reality.
“His comments … constitute a justification for terrorism and murder. It’s sad that a person with such views is the head of an organization that arose after the Holocaust,” stated Gilad.
Likewise in solidarity to the Israel UN envoy, Israel’s foreign minister, Eli Cohen, cancelled a planned meeting with Gutteres.
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Gaza War Update
As the situation is Gaza deepens, reports indicate that Hospitals are stopping all but emergency services as fuel runs out.
Likewise, the UN, which is the biggest supplier of aid in Gaza says its work could stop if it doesn’t get fresh supplies.
Similarly, Israel is stopping new supplies of fuel reaching Gaza, as it says Hamas is stockpiling existing supplies.
On Tuesday October 24, the Hamas-run health ministry said almost 5,800 people have been killed in Gaza since 7 October.
Worth noting, more than 1,400 were killed in the initial attacks on Israel by Hamas, and more than two hundred people are still being held hostage.
And as the country continues to feel the heat more innocent children continue to fall victim as child deaths increase day by day.
According to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry more than 2,300 children have been killed since the latest conflict began.