The number of people killed in Israel’s war on Gaza has increased to 32,333.
According to the Health Ministry in the enclave, at least 74,694 people have also been wounded by Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
The latest figures include 107 people killed and 176 wounded over the past 24 hours.
In a press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres stressed that it is “absolutely fundamental to preserve the life of the people in Gaza.”
The UN chief said that he sees “a growing consensus emerging in the international community to tell Israel a ceasefire is needed.”
“We have been insisting on the need for a ceasefire,” he noted.
“In the beginning, our voice was relatively alone, but now, we are seeing more and more of the international community recognising the same.” Guterres stated.
He added that there is also a growing consensus to tell clearly to the Israelis that any ground invasion of Rafah could mean “a catastrophic humanitarian disaster.”
Speaking at Amman, Guterres asserted the credibility of his office, saying, “There might be double standards in many places in the world, but there is no double standard in the Secretary-General of the UN.”
“For us, what matters are the principles, and the principles are the UN Charter, international law, territorial integrity of the countries, but also the international humanitarian law and the right of self-determination of people.”
Antonio Guterres
Moreover, the UN Chief stressed that “it is absolutely essential” to have a “massive supply” of humanitarian aid to northern Gaza right now.
“This means opening more entry points, this means a concentration of effort of all entities without obstacles without limitations from the Israeli side in order to be able to rescue the people of northern Gaza at imminent risk of famine,” he suggested.
He added that many children today are already dying of hunger.
Guterres also said that Israel’s blocking of UNRWA aid deliveries to northern Gaza was “unacceptable” and reiterated his position over a possible ground offensive against Rafah, stressing that it could lead to a “catastrophic humanitarian situation.”
UNRWA officials said on Sunday, March 24, 2024, that Israel informed the UN that it would no longer approve food convoys to the north of Gaza.
Sam Rose, the UNRWA’s Planning Director, noted that the implications in Gaza are dramatic after almost six months of relentless war.
He said, “The situation is particularly harsh in northern Gaza, where we estimate that about 250,000 people have been trapped.”
He also stressed that blocking the UNRWA from delivering aid is a deliberate obstruction of life-saving assistance for a population already facing starvation.
Israel Not Deterred
On his part, Ayman Safadi, the Jordanian Foreign Minister said that Israel’s government is perpetrating its crimes against international law “simply because it is not deterred.”
“There is nothing to deter Israel, but we have gone beyond that. The Israeli government is led by radical racist menaces,” Safadi pronounced.
“We cannot allow them to continue to drown the entire region into further chaos.” he urged.
According to Safadi, Gaza has become an open cemetery, not only for the children but also for international law, and the repercussions of this are devastating.
In the press conference with Guterres, Safadi said that there is a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and there is no justification for committing massacres and depriving children of food.
Depriving UNRWA of funding means contributing to the killing of Palestinian children, Safadi noted, indicating that entering Rafah would lead to a disaster, but Israel does not listen to the demands of the international community.
The Minister also stressed that there is no alternative to UNRWA and all the funds provided to it contribute to saving lives.
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