Urges a Ceasefire and Access for Humanitarian Aid to Gaza, UN Secretary General: This Territory is on the Brink

Victims of Israeli attacks on Gaza October 2023. (Wikimedia Commons/Palestinian News & Information Agency (Wafa) in contact with APAimages)

JAKARTA - UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Middle East due to the conflict in Gaza, urging access for aid distribution.

Speaking in Beijing, Secretary-General Guterres said a ceasefire would provide sufficient time and space to implement the two important calls he made earlier this week.

First, the unconditional release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas. Second, opening access for humanitarian aid to Gaza by Israel in the midst of the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

"This region is on the precipice," warned the UN Secretary-General, as reported on the UN website Thursday, October 19.

The call comes a day after hundreds of people were killed in attacks on hospitals in Gaza, stressing that hospitals and medical workers are protected under international law.

The Palestinians accused Israel of being behind the attack. On the other hand, Israel blamed the rockets on Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants, who later denied the accusation.

Secretary General Guterres underlined that assistance is urgently needed to respond to the most basic needs of the people of Gaza, the majority of whom are women and children.

"Too many lives and the fate of entire regions are in danger," he said.

Meanwhile, the head of the UN Palestine Refugee Agency, Philippe Lazzarini, said in an emergency meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), "an unprecedented disaster is happening before our eyes."

"Gaza is being strangled and the world seems to be losing its humanity," he said.

"Every hour we receive more and more calls for help from people throughout the Gaza Strip. Thousands of civilians have been killed in the last 12 days, including women and children," he concluded.