The Middle East is on the “precipice” of a “generalized regional war”, the UN Secretary-General warned before the Security Council today, denouncing the “human hell” created by Israeli operations in Gaza.
“The Middle East is on the brink. In recent days we have seen a dangerous escalation, through words and actions,” said Antonio Guterres.
“A miscalculation, a miscommunication, a misunderstanding, could lead to the unthinkable, a generalized regional war that would be disastrous for all involved, and for the rest of the world,” he said, condemning in particular Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel last weekend.
“This moment of maximum danger must be a moment of maximum self-restraint,” stressed the governor. appealing: “It is time to end the bloody cycle of retaliation.”
“We have a collective responsibility to address these dangers and move the region back from the brink,” he insisted. “Starting with Gaza”.
The UN chief denounced the Israeli operation in Palestinian territory in the strongest possible terms, reiterating his call for an immediate ceasefire, unhindered access to humanitarian aid and the release of all hostages.
“In Gaza, six and a half months of Israeli military operations have created a humanitarian hell,” he said, referring to two million Palestinians facing “death, destruction, denial of vital humanitarian aid” and starvation.
“The number of dead is overwhelming and unprecedented, in pace and scale, throughout the time I have been secretary-general” (since 2017), he emphasized.
“And all of this is happening with major restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities on aid to the people of Gaza, who are facing widespread hunger.”
The war was sparked by an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas in southern Israel that killed 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP report based on official Israeli accounts. Israeli retaliatory operations in the Gaza Strip have left 33,970 dead, mostly civilians, according to Hamas’ health ministry.
The UN Secretary-General spoke at the Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza, attended by foreign ministers from the region, including Jordan and Iran.
The Security Council vote on the Palestinian request to become a full member state of the Organization will take place later today, the Maltese presidency of the SA has confirmed. The request is expected to be blocked by the US, Israel’s ally, because if accepted it would mean de facto recognition of the Palestinian state.
Guterres also expressed concern over the “distressing situation in the occupied West Bank,” calling for “de-escalation” as “more than 450 Palestinians, including 112 children” have been killed there since October 7, “the majority by Israeli forces during their operations and during exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and armed Palestinians.
“Others were killed by armed Israeli settlers, sometimes in the presence of Israeli security forces who allegedly did nothing to prevent these deaths,” he said, calling for “Israel to take immediate action to end the unprecedented settler violence.”
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