UN Secretary General Calls For Ceasefire Avoid "Big Trench" In Gaza

JAKARTA - United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has again urged a ceasefire to be imposed in the Gaza Strip, which Israel continues to attack to prevent a major humanitarian tragedy.

"This is the time for a humanitarian ceasefire before a major tragedy occurs in Gaza," Guterres told a news conference at UN headquarters in New York.

The UN Secretary-General said he was very concerned about Israel's military plan to continue the attack on Rafah City in the southern Gaza Strip which could worsen the humanitarian condition of Palestinian refugees.

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant previously said the next military target in the Gaza Strip was the Rafah, which he claimed was the last stronghold of the Palestinian Hamas group.

"Half of the current population of Gaza is packed with Rafah. They can't go anywhere else," he said.

Moreover, the lives of Palestinians in Gaza today are not only threatened by the continuing war, but also from hunger and disease due to declining humanitarian conditions.

Israel's attacks on Gaza since October 7, 2023 have killed 27,840 Palestinians and injured 67,317 others. Meanwhile, according to Israeli authorities, about 1,200 Israelis died as a result of the Hamas attack.

Meanwhile, Guterres stated that he fully supports the interim decision of the International Court (ICJ) regarding Israel and called for the contents of the verdict to be implemented immediately.

On January 26, ICJ issued an initial ruling requiring Israel to stop preventing the transfer of aid to Gaza and must seek to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

"It is important to ensure that all court decisions must be carried out. It is clear that I fully believe that the International Court will be able to take action if the decision is not carried out properly," said the Secretary General of the United Nations.

He also supports a two-state solution in resolving conflicts between Israel and Palestine.

"I will continue to be the main supporter of Israel's right to a safe and peaceful life. I will continue to be a fighter against antisemitism," he said.

"Nevertheless, I am also fully committed so that the Palestinian people have their own country and the right to determine their own destiny is recognized in order to end the occupation," Guterres stressed.

Guterres also mentioned Israel's accusations that 12 UN agency employees for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) were involved in a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 as credible accusations.

As a first step, Guterres said that his party had terminated the contracts with accused individuals based on organizational regulations. In addition, his party has also appointed a team of investigators to investigate the Israeli allegations.

"If I make a mistake, it can be corrected later. However, we cannot take action, because accusations related to criminal acts like this are very dangerous," said the UN Secretary General.

Guterres stressed that it is committed to taking action as soon as possible if Israel provides new information regarding the "Hamas Infiltration" of UN agencies.

Regarding Israel's accusations, a number of donor countries have suspended funding for UNRWA since January 26. The UN agency said the halt to funding threatens the sustainability of humanitarian operations in Gaza they run.