UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday that he was “shocked by harrowing levels of death, injury and destruction” in north Gaza, where Israeli forces have launched intense attacks.
A statement released Sunday through UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric relayed Guterres’s reaction to “harrowing levels of death, injury, and destruction” affecting thousands of civilians trapped amid the conflict.
“The plight of Palestinian civilians trapped in north Gaza is unbearable,” Dujarric said, quoting the UN chief, who also highlighted critical shortages of essential services. “Civilians are trapped under rubble, the sick and wounded are going without life-saving health care, and families are lacking food and shelter,” the statement added.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, recent weeks of violence have led to hundreds of fatalities, with over 60,000 people forced to abandon their homes as strikes persist. The UN has reported that continued attempts to deliver food, medical supplies, and other essential humanitarian aid are largely being blocked by Israeli authorities.
“In the name of humanity, the Secretary-General reiterates his calls for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and accountability for crimes under international law,” Dujarric stated.
Israeli airstrikes killed at least 40 people over the past day in Gaza, according to witnesses and correspondents, as Israel’s intensified air and ground campaigns continued in the north.
The UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, has described Gaza’s situation as facing its “darkest hour.” According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 42,924 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the ongoing Israeli bombardment campaign in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
The Israeli operation in Lebanon, ongoing since late September, has devastated several areas as ground incursions and airstrikes across southern Lebanon. Sunday’s strikes targeted cities such as Tyre and Nabatiyeh, with smoke filling the skies over Beirut after an overnight assault.
Lebanon’s death toll has reached at least 1,615 since September 23, according to media reports, though actual numbers may be higher due to data gaps.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel’s airstrikes on Iran had “achieved all of its objectives,” downplaying immediate escalation. Iran, however, responded firmly.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged the attack on social media, calling for Iran to show its “strength, will, and initiative” to make Israel “understand” the resilience of the Iranian people.
