United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday he was “deeply distressed” by an announcement that Israel will initiate a complete siege of the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian Islamic terror group Hamas over the weekend.
“I am deeply distressed by today’s announcement that Israel will initiate a complete siege of the Gaza Strip, nothing allowed in – no electricity, food, or fuel,” Guterres said.
“The humanitarian situation in Gaza was extremely dire before these hostilities,” the UN chief told reporters. “Now it will only deteriorate exponentially.”
“This most recent violence does not come in a vacuum,” Guterres said, adding, “The reality is that it grows out of a long-standing conflict, with a 56-year long occupation and no political end in sight.”
“While I recognize Israel’s legitimate security concerns, I also remind Israel that military operations must be conducted in strict accordance with international humanitarian law,” he added.
“I urge all sides and the relevant parties to allow United Nations access to deliver urgent humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians trapped and helpless in the Gaza Strip,” he further said while appealing to the international community to mobilize immediate humanitarian support.
