KAMPALA: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres criticized Israel on Sunday, condemning the “heartbreaking” deaths of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Speaking at the opening of the G77+China summit in Kampala, Guterres expressed deep concern over the unprecedented scale of civilian casualties caused by Israel’s military operations in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Guterres deemed the situation “utterly unacceptable” and highlighted the need to prevent conflict escalation across the Middle East. The UN Secretary-General noted that Israel’s offensive in Gaza has resulted in massive destruction and killed over 25,105 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
Guterres emphasized the urgency of addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stating that denying Palestinians the right to statehood would prolong the conflict, posing a significant threat to global peace and security.
Israel Opposes Palestinian Sovereignty in Gaza
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in response to US President Joe Biden’s remarks on Palestinian statehood, reiterated his policy. Netanyahu stressed the necessity for Israel to retain security control over Gaza after dealing with Hamas, a condition conflicting with the Palestinian demand for sovereignty.
Secretary-General Guterres attended the G77+China summit in Kampala, which comprises 134 developing countries advocating for common interests. The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit concluded with a document condemning Israel’s military aggression in Gaza, calling for an immediate and durable humanitarian ceasefire. Leaders and senior officials from various nations, including South Africa, Iran, China, Turkey, Cuba, India, and Vietnam, participated in these critical diplomatic meetings.
