Gaza a ‘humanitarian hellscape’: UN chief
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says more than six months of Israel’s offensive in Gaza has created a “humanitarian hellscape” and escalated regional tensions.
“Ending hostilities in Gaza would significantly defuse tensions across the region,” Guterres said while addressing members of the UN Security Council. “I reiterate my calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the immediate release of all hostages held in Gaza.”
Guterres confirmed Israel ‘not doing enough’ to allow aid into Gaza
He got into a lot of detail that sometimes you don’t hear from the UN secretary-general. He really laid out multiple fronts where the conflict is expanding and where the risks are really high.
But, I think the big takeaway here was a couple of things from the secretary-general. He basically confirmed that Israel is not doing enough to get aid and allow aid in for the people who need it the most in Gaza, despite the fact of the ICJ issuing its provisional measures back in February.
Despite the fact, Israel saying – after the death of several humanitarians from World Central Kitchen – that they were going to allow more aid in, the secretary-general is saying, it’s not happening.
He said, last week, Israel denied 40 percent of the UN’s request to get aid trucks … into Gaza. He essentially said … they’re [Israel] not doing enough to facilitate humanitarian aid at the scale that it’s needed to prevent a famine.
