The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has expressed his deep sorrow over the death of 89 staff members of the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees (UNRWA) in the ongoing Gaza crisis. He said the situation was more than a humanitarian crisis, but a crisis of humanity.
Speaking to reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York on Monday, Mr Guterres said many of the UNRWA staff who lost their lives were teachers, school principals, doctors, engineers, guards and support staff. Some of them were killed along with their family members, including a young woman named Mai, who worked in information technology for UNRWA despite her muscular dystrophy.
Mr Guterres urged the international community to take immediate action to end the violence and pave the way for peace and a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians. He also appealed for support for a 1.2 billion dollar humanitarian appeal to help nearly three million people across the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
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He said he was gravely concerned about the escalation of the conflict between Israeli forces and Hamas militants, which has spread to the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. He said the area was at a boiling point and the protection of civilians was paramount.
He described the situation in Gaza as a nightmare, where children, journalists and UN aid workers were among the hundreds of casualties. He said Gaza was becoming a graveyard for children and a place where human rights and international humanitarian law were being trampled.
He said the humanitarian aid that was getting into Gaza through the Rafah crossing from Egypt was not enough to meet the ocean of need. He said the lack of fuel was putting lives at risk, as water, sanitation, health and other essential services were disrupted.
He reiterated his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and for all parties to respect international humanitarian law.