Five Palestinians were killed today in Israeli airstrikes against the Gaza Strip, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed in that enclave to 232 since the beginning of the conflict on May 10, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Diplomatic ferment intensified today with the aim of achieving a truce between Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas, which controls the enclave, amid a resurgence of fighting.
“Continuation of Israeli and Palestinian fire
unacceptable Continuation of Israeli and Palestinian fire is ‘unacceptable,'” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the General Assembly today, adding that “the conflict must end immediately.”
“I am deeply shocked by the continued airstrikes and artillery bombardment by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza, which killed more than 200 Palestinians, including nearly 60 children,” he said. “The continued indiscriminate firing of rockets by Hamas and other armed groups into residential areas in Israel, which killed twelve people, including two children,” is also unacceptable, “he added.
“If there is hell on earth, this is the life of children in Gaza,” he said.
The meeting of the General Assembly, attended by twelve ministers, was convened at the request of Niger and Algeria, which currently hold the rotating presidency of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League at the United Nations.
“There is an urgent need for de-escalation to prevent an uncontrollable cross-border and humanitarian crisis and a security crisis” and Jerusalem, the capital of the two countries, was also reiterated by the head of the UN.
On Wednesday, his spokesman said that although Antonio Guterres had been in contact with the Palestinians since the beginning of the conflict ten days ago, he had not yet had contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He refused to say what the reason was.
Complaining the damage caused by the airstrikes to “several hospitals”, the UN chief also expressed outrage over the destruction of media outlets and the death of a journalist in Gaza, which are “extremely worrying”.
“I am deeply saddened by the damage done to the United Nations facility in Gaza,” said Antonio Guterres. “United Nations offices are inviolable, even during armed conflict. “Humanitarian facilities must be respected and protected,” he said.
As for humanitarian aid, Guterres said a call for donations would be made “as soon as possible”, adding that $ 14 million would be released by the UN “in favor of the Occupied Palestinian Territories”.
“There is no excuse, including the fight against terrorism or self-defense, for the (involved) parties to the conflict to waive their obligations under international humanitarian law,” he insisted.
“I am also deeply concerned about the continuing violent clashes between Israeli security forces and the Palestinians throughout the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where several Palestinian families are threatened with eviction,” he said.
This threat of expulsion is one of the main causes of the conflict that began on May 10th.
