UN chief suggests ‘flooding’ Gaza with aid — RT World News
Antonio Guterres said that keeping thousands of aid trucks away from the Palestinian city of Rafah is a moral violation
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, while urging countries to do so “Really flooding Gaza with life-saving aid.”
On Saturday, the Secretary-General of the United Nations visited the Egyptian side of the border, not far from the city of Rafah, located in the far south of the Gaza Strip, which is now crowded with refugees. Israel is planning a ground assault on the area despite warnings of a potential catastrophe, as more than half of Gaza's population has fled to the city due to fighting between Israel and Hamas.
“Any additional attack will make things worse – worse for Palestinian civilians, worse for the hostages, and worse for all the people in the region.” Guterres said, describing the famine inside the enclave as: “Moral outrage.”
His statements came a day after the UN Security Council failed to reach agreement on the draft resolution sponsored by the United States “An immediate and sustainable ceasefire.” Western medics warned the United Nations earlier that the Israeli attack on Rafah could lead to the death of 250,000 people.
“Here from this crossing, we see the heartbreak and cruelty… a long line of blocked relief trucks on one side of the gates, and the long shadow of famine on the other.” He said as he stood next to a line of 7,000 waiting trucks loaded with humanitarian aid.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected international pressure to cancel the attack on Rafah, and insisted on the need to move forward to prevent Hamas from attacking his country again.
Israel declared war on Hamas on October 7, after the militants carried out a cross-border raid, killing more than 1,100 people and taking at least 250 hostage. Dozens of prisoners were subsequently released through a series of exchanges during a week-long truce in November. About 130 hostages are still being held in Gaza, according to Israeli officials.
More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli bombing of Gaza and the ground operation since October 7, according to the health service in the Strip.
According to the latest media reports, Israel has agreed to release up to 800 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of 40 hostages still held by Hamas.
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