“For the sake of the people of Gaza, for the sake of the hostages and their families in Israel, and for the sake of the region and the wider world,” Secretary-General António Guterres today (30 Apr) “strongly” encouraged the government of Israel and the Hamas leadership to reach now an agreement, without which “the war, with all its consequences both in Gaza and across the region, will worsen exponentially.”
Talking to reporters outside the Security Council, Guterres warned against an Israeli military assault on Rafah.
He said, “more than 1.2 million people are now seeking shelter in Rafah governorate, most of them fleeing the Israeli bombardment that has reportedly killed over 34,000 people. They have very little to eat, hardly any access to medical care, little shelter, and nowhere safe to go.”
In northern Gaza, Guterres continued, “the most vulnerable - from sick children to people with disabilities - are already dying of hunger and disease,” and stressed that “we must do everything possible to avert an entirely preventable, human-made famine.
He said, “we have seen incremental progress recently, but much more is urgently needed -- including the promised opening of the two crossing points between Israel and northern Gaza, so that aid can be brought into Gaza from Ashdod port and Jordan.”
The Secretary-General said he was “deeply alarmed by reports that mass graves have been discovered in several locations in Gaza, including Al Shifa Medical Complex and Nasser Medical Complex.”
He said it was “imperative that independent international investigators, with forensic expertise, are allowed immediate access to the sites of these mass graves, to establish the precise circumstances under which hundreds of Palestinians lost their lives and were buried, or reburied.”
Asked about the protests against the war in several American universities, Guterres said it was “essential in all circumstances to guarantee the freedom of expression, and the freedom of peaceful demonstration.”
At the same time, he continued, “it is obvious that hate speech is unacceptable. Based on my experience in government, I believe it is up to the university authorities to have the wisdom to properly manage situations like the ones we have witnessed.”
Asked about the situation of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the Secretary-General said, “settlements are illegal in themselves settlements are an obstacle to peace. Settlements are an obstacle to the two-state solution. And not only settlements are illegal, but the violence of settlers has been one of the most serious aggravating factors of the very dramatic situation that we have now in the West Bank. And obviously this should also be a method that would deserve full accountability.”
During the press encounter, Guterres also called on Member States to pledge funds generously to ensure the continuity of UNRWA’s operations.