The catastrophe in Gaza is nothing short of a complete breakdown of our common humanity

New York(ST)-UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed that the catastrophe witnessed by the Gaza Strip is nothing but a complete collapse of our common humanity and a nightmare that must be ended, warning that the conditions experienced by Palestinians in the Strip may amount to the most serious international crimes.

In a speech before the Cairo Ministerial Conference to Strengthen the Humanitarian Response in Gaza today, delivered on his behalf by his Deputy Amina Mohammed, Guterres explained that the Strip now has the largest number of amputee children in the world relative to the population, as many lose limbs and undergo surgeries without anesthesia, adding: “What we are seeing is very likely to amount to the most serious international crimes.”

Guterres reiterated that the Israeli occupation’s ban on the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Palestinian territories threatens to paralyze humanitarian efforts, stressing that the UN agency is an indispensable lifeline for millions of Palestinians.

Guterres considered that the occupation’s obstruction of the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Strip is a violation of the clear obligations imposed by international humanitarian law to respect and protect civilians and ensure that their basic needs are met, calling on the international community to support efforts to deliver much-needed relief to the Strip in light of the horrific humanitarian conditions it is experiencing.

Guterres pointed out that the occupation and its settlers continue their attacks on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank, including the occupied city of Jerusalem, aimed at displacing Palestinians from their land and seizing it.

Aourwa Deep