UN Secretary General: Gaza Filled With Debris, Bodies And Violations Of International Law

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. (Twitter/@antinooguterres)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Gaza Strip, Palestine is currently littered with debris, bodies and examples of international law violations.

Secretary-General Guterres on Thursday again called for a ceasefire in Gaza, greater humanitarian access, and the release of all hostages, as the enclave faces another deadly escalation.

"Israel's first step to take over Gaza City militarily marks a new, dangerous phase," he told reporters in New York.

"Hundreds of thousands of civilians who are already exhausted and traumatized will be forced to flee again, putting families in a more severe danger. This must be stopped," he continued.

Speaking ahead of the UN DK meeting regarding the situation in Haiti, Secretary General Guterres but paused to brief reporters on "the ongoing tragedy in Gaza", in which a more immoral Israeli attack had occurred.

The incident included two airstrikes at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis earlier this week that killed civilians, including medics and journalists.

Secretary-General said these attacks were part of an endless catalog of horrors and called for accountability.

"Gaza is filled with debris, filled with corpses, and filled with examples of serious violations of international law," said Secretary General Guterres.

He stressed, "the death and destruction rates in Gaza have been unrivaled lately". Furthermore, he added, "the luminosity is no longer a shadowy possibility, this is a present disaster."

"This is a fact on the ground. And this is the result of a deliberate decision that goes against the essence of humanity," he said.

"Israel, as a power of occupation, has a clear obligation," he said.

He said Israel must ensure the provision of food, water, medicines, and other basic necessities. This is an addition to the much greater approval and facilitation of humanitarian access to Gaza as well as the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Secretary General Guterres said the International Court (ICJ) had provided binding interim steps that must be implemented in full and immediately.

This includes the obligation to take all steps to ensure humanitarian and medical aid without a hitch for Palestinians across the Gaza Strip without delay and in full cooperation with the United Nations.

Meanwhile, the United Nations and its partners are doing everything they can, he said. This is often a high risk, as the tragic 366 UN personnel have died.

"Day after day, our efforts were blocked, postponed, and rejected," he said.

"This is unacceptable," said the Secretary General of the United Nations.