UN Secretary General Calls Palestine One Of The Darkest Rounds In History

Damage to Gaza due to Israeli attacks. (Source: WHO/PBB)

JAKARTA - The UN Secretary-General highlighted the conditions experienced by Palestine regarding the crisis in Gaza, after previously reaffirming calls for a full ceasefire over Hamas' armed conflict with Israel in the enclave.

In a statement ahead of International Solidarity Day for the Palestinian People, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Palestine was experiencing "one of the darkest rounds" in their history.

International Solidarity Day for the Palestinian people is celebrated every November 29. The commemoration is related to the United Nations' 181 Resolution on a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Earlier, Secretary General Guterres again criticized the Hamas attack on Israel's southern region on October 7, but also said it could not justify collective penalties against the Palestinian people.

Yesterday, the UN Secretary-General again called for a full ceasefire between the militant groups Hamas and Israel in the conflict in Gaza.

"The dialogue leading to the agreement must continue, resulting in a full humanitarian ceasefire, in the interests of the Gaza people, Israel and a wider region," UN Secretary-General spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

He warned "humanitarian disasters in Gaza are getting worse day by day", while increased shipments of humanitarian aid to northern enclaves over the past four days " barely meeting the large needs of 1.7 million refugees".

The UN Secretary-General also urged the release of all hostages who are still detained, as well as for the international community to use its influence to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, towards a sustainable front for the region, namely a two-state solution.

Israel and Hamas agreed on Monday to continue a two-day ceasefire, followed by the release of hostages and detainees on both sides, after a four-day battle gap agreement reached last week.

Since the agreement began on Friday, Hamas has released 69 hostages. Meanwhile, with the immediate release, the number of detainees released will be 150 people.