United Nations (Web Desk/Agencies): United Nation (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his warning Thursday against Israel’s planned full-scale assault on Rafah, just as aid teams issued increasingly urgent appeals for a safe passage throughout Gaza, to replenish dangerously low stocks of lifesaving supplies.
In a related development, the UN’s top court opened its hearing on a new request from South Africa to issue more constraints on Israeli military action in the besieged enclave.
In a call for the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages” still held in Gaza, the Secretary-General told Arab League leaders at a Summit in Manama, Bahrain, that nothing justified the “collective punishment” of Palestinians.
“Any assault on Rafah is unacceptable; it would inflict another surge of pain and misery when we need a surge in life-saving aid,” he added.
In his address to the summit, the UN chief repeated his longstanding call for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages held in the enclave, and unimpeded access for aid delivery.
“The war in Gaza is an open wound that threatens to infect the entire region,” he said.
“In its speed and scale, it is the deadliest conflict in my time as Secretary-General – for civilians, aid workers, journalists, and our own UN colleagues.”
He stressed that nothing could justify the October 7 attacks by Hamas against Israel, or the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
The UN chief also voiced concern over the tensions in the occupied West Bank, highlighting the spike in illegal Israeli settlements, settler violence and excessive use of force by the Israeli Defence Forces, as well as demolitions and evictions.
“The only permanent way to end the cycle of violence and instability is through a two-state solution, Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states,” he said.
“The demographic and historical character of Jerusalem must be preserved, and the status quo at the Holy Sites must be upheld, in line with the special role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,” Guterres added.
Turning to Sudan, the UN chief urged the international community to intensify efforts towards peace and called for the warring parties to agree on a lasting ceasefire.
More than a year of fighting between the Sudanese army and rival paramilitary known as the RapidSupport Forces (RSF) has generated a humanitarian crisis. Thousands of civilians have been killed and 18 million face looming famine.
He also called for protecting “the fragile political processes in Libya and Yemen”, and encouraged the Syrian people to come together in a spirit of reconciliation, honouring their diversity and respecting human rights for all.
Guterres also focused on other serious global crises, including the climate emergency; rising inequality, poverty and hunger; crushing debt; and the potential and perils of new technology such as artificial intelligence (AI).
“We need deep reforms to the global multilateral system – from the Security Council to the international financial architecture – so they are truly universal and representative of today’s realities,” he added.
He pointed to the Summit of the Future at UN Headquarters this September as “a pivotal opportunity to create momentum for a more networked and inclusive multilateralism.”
The Secretary-General pointed to the enormous potential in the Arab region.
Emphasizing that unity is the one condition for success in the world today, he said divisions allowed outsiders to intervene – promoting conflicts, stoking sectarian tensions and inadvertently fueling terrorism.
“These are obstacles to peaceful development and the well-being of your peoples,” he told leaders.
“Overcoming those obstacles requires breaking the vicious circle of division and foreign manipulation – and moving forward together to build a more peaceful and prosperous future for the people of the Arab world and beyond.”
