UN Chief urges hostage release and humanitarian aid access in Gaza amid appeals to Hamas and Israel
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued an emotional appeal, urging Hamas to promptly release all hostages without preconditions while also calling on Israel to facilitate swift and unhindered humanitarian aid access for the vulnerable civilian population in the Gaza Strip. This call to action comes as the densely populated Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas and home to approximately 2.3 million residents, remains subjected to a comprehensive blockade.
The UN Secretary-General wrote on the social media platform X that these objectives must be implemented because they are the right thing to do.
The Israeli army has announced that Hamas has taken more than 155 hostages. They were taken hostage during attacks by Palestinian semi-militants and were transferred to Gaza, among whom there are many civilians and some soldiers.
Hamas had previously stated that 13 hostages were killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Antonio Guterres emphasized the dire situation in Gaza, highlighting critical water, electricity, and vital resources shortages.
He underscored that the United Nations stands ready with essential provisions, including food, water, non-food items, medical equipment, and fuel strategically positioned in Egypt, Jordan, the West Bank, and Israel, all of which can be swiftly dispatched to Gaza within a matter of hours, offering a lifeline to the beleaguered population.
Guterres’ comments coincided with a Reuters report, citing Gaza health officials, revealing that hospitals in the area grapple with overwhelming casualties. The critical shortage of fuel and medicine has raised the alarming prospect of potentially thousands of fatalities in the region.
In the meantime, Israeli media outlets have confirmed that the Rafah border crossing is set to reopen early on Monday, facilitating foreign nationals’ departure and much-needed humanitarian aid. This development follows a commitment made by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who assured that the Rafah crossing would be reinstated after discussions with the President of Egypt.
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