United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concerns over civilian deaths in Gaza, citing that there is something “clearly wrong” with Israel’s military operations.
He told Reuters NEXT, “There are violations by Hamas when they have human shields. But when one looks at the number of civilians that were killed with the military operations, there is something that is clearly wrong.”
As per the official figures, 10,569 people have been killed, 40% of them children.
“It is also important to make Israel understand that it is against the interests of Israel to see every day the terrible image of the dramatic humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people,” Guterres said. “That doesn’t help Israel in relation to the global public opinion.”
Guterres contrasted child casualties in Gaza with annual conflict reports to the UN Security Council and stated, “Every year, the highest number of killings of children by any of the actors in all the conflicts that we witness is the maximum in the hundreds,” Guterres said.
“We have in a few days in Gaza thousands and thousands of children killed, which means there is also something clearly wrong in the way military operations are being done,” he said.
He described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “catastrophic,” adding: “It is absolutely essential – absolutely essential – to have a flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza that corresponds to the dramatic needs that the population is facing.”
The United Nations has been working to increase humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza. Guterres said that in the past 18 days only 630 trucks had been able to enter via the Rafah border crossing from Egypt. The United Nations also wants to be able to use the Kerem Shalom border crossing, controlled by Israel.
Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, after the militants killed 1,400 people and took more than 240 hostages in an Oct. 7 attack. Israel has struck Gaza – an enclave of 2.3 million people – from the air, imposed a siege and launched a ground invasion.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Milestone Alert!Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world 🌏 Click here to know more.
Vikram Sharma is a globe-trotting journalist with a global perspective on international events. His articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing insights into the world’s most pressing challenges.
