UN chief appeals Israel to allow humanitarian aid in Gaza
Amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas to release all Israeli hostages without conditions immediately. Furthermore, he urged Israel to allow "unimpeded access" to humanitarian aid for the civilians in Gaza. Home to nearly 2.3 million people, the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip is under a total blockade as Israel cut off water, food, and fuel supplies since the start of the conflict.
Why does this story matter?
The death toll in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, which started on October 7, crossed 4,000 on Monday, with authorities confirming the death of more than 1,400 Israelis, per CNN. Moreover, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza revealed that at least 2,670 Palestinians have lost their lives, with almost 9,600 suffering injuries in the continuous airstrikes and shellings by the Israeli army.
On verge of abyss in Middle East: Guterres
In an official statement shared on social media, Guterres said, "We are on the verge of the abyss in the Middle East." Appealing to Hamas and Israel, he asked the former to release hostages while urging Israel to allow "rapid and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid" in Gaza. "Each one of these two objectives are valid in themselves. They should not become bargaining chips...they must be implemented because it is the right thing to do," he wrote on X.
Check out Guterres's post on X here
Comparisons to previous conflicts and missing persons
According to Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, an estimated 150 to 200 Israelis are being held hostage by the terrorist group in the Gaza Strip. "We are making every effort to locate them even in this great complexity," The Times of Israel quoted him as saying on Sunday. Furthermore, he vowed that the Israeli army "will eliminate the Hamas organization."
WHO chief's appeal to Hamas, Israel amid war
On Sunday, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged Hamas to release all civilian hostages. Ghebreyesus also raised concerns over the Israeli attacks on Gaza, adding innocent civilians and kids there were "paying the price." "WHO calls on Hamas to release civilian hostages, and we continue to appeal to Israel to abide by its obligations under international law to protect civilians and health facilities," AFP quoted Ghebreyesus as saying.
Biden calls Israel potentially occupying Gaza 'big mistake'
Separately, on Israel potentially reoccupying Gaza, United States (US) President Joe Biden has stated that it would be a "big mistake." During an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes, the US president called the Palestinian terrorist group a "bunch of cowards" and backed the idea of destroying Hamas, an organization designated as a terrorist group by the European Union (EU) and America.
