The UN chief said “everything possible” must be done to prevent an Israeli offensive in Rafah, after visiting the city’s border crossing, which connects the Sinai Peninsula with the Gaza Strip.
The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, assured this Saturday that it is necessary to agree on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, free the hostages held by the Islamist group Hamas and give hope for the creation of an independent Palestinian State.
“It is time to create hope for the Palestinian people that there will be a Palestinian state,” Guterres said at a press conference from Arish airport in Egypt, after visiting the Rafah border crossing, which connects the Sinai Peninsula. with the Gaza Strip.
The head of the UN has stated that “everything possible” must be done to prevent an Israeli offensive in the Palestinian town of Rafah, at the southern end of the Strip and where some 1.5 million people displaced by the war that began are crowded. last October 7th.
“Everyone is going to assume their responsibilities with History. For me, it is clear: We need to avoid a catastrophic situation in Rafah,” said Guterres, adding that there is “a clear consensus” between the US, the European Union, the UN and the international community against this ground offensive.
Asked how the effects of an offensive in Rafah could be mitigated, the diplomat responded: “Don’t ask me how I can guarantee that the Israeli Government will do whatever it takes, because it is clear that the Israeli Government normally does not do what I ask of it”.
Likewise, he regretted that to this day there continues to be many obstacles to delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, where its inhabitants face famine, and stated that in order to deliver the necessary assistance to the population, it is essential to agree on a ceasefire.
“There is no way to distribute aid effectively in Gaza without a humanitarian ceasefire,” insisted Guterres, who recalled that there are even times when aid enters the Strip “the distribution degenerates into situations of violence and situations in where people are bombed.”
In addition, he has denounced the obstacles of the Israeli authorities in getting aid to the enclave, such as the rejection of some items, inspections that last days or the refusal to authorize the entry of convoys. “There are a number of obstacles that the Israeli authorities have maintained that make it very difficult to reach a sufficient level of delivery,” lamented the head of the United Nations.
Upon his arrival in Egypt, Guterres met with the governor of the province of North Sinai, Mohamed Shosha, who told him that the obstacles imposed by Israel have meant that some 7,000 trucks have not yet been able to enter the enclave, according to a report. statement from the provincial administration.
The diplomat began today a brief tour that will take him to Cairo, where he will break the fast of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan with Sudanese refugees, and will travel to Jordan on Sunday to meet with the country’s main authorities and visit the Agency’s facilities. of the UN for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).
Source: Eitb
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.