Guterres warns that an Israeli attack on Rafah would mean "the end of humanitarian aid programs" in Gaza

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Monday that an Israeli attack on Rafah would result in a fatal blow to aid programs in Gaza, where humanitarian aid "is woefully inadequate."

Guterres said in a speech to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that a comprehensive attack on the city located in southern Gaza on the border with Egypt "would not only be terrifying for more than a million Palestinian civilians who have sought refuge there but would also be the final nail in the coffin for our aid programs."

His remarks come after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Sunday his intention to launch a ground attack on the densely populated city of Rafah in southern Gaza, aiming to achieve "complete victory" in the war with Hamas.

According to Netanyahu, reaching a ceasefire agreement would only "delay" the attack on Rafah, where nearly one and a half million civilians are gathered along the closed border with Egypt, according to UN figures.

Guterres emphasized on Monday that "nothing can justify Hamas deliberately killing, injuring, torturing, and kidnapping civilians and using sexual violence - or indiscriminately launching rockets at Israel."

He added, "Nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people".

According to Guterres, "humanitarian aid remains woefully inadequate."

He continued, "I reiterate my call for a ceasefire for humanitarian reasons and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages."

He expressed regret that despite his urgent calls to the Security Council to take all necessary measures "to stop the bloodshed in Gaza and prevent escalation," it failed to act.

The US, Israel's largest ally, has used its veto power in the Security Council three times so far to prevent the Council from calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Guterres warned of the consequences of the Council's inaction on Gaza, as well as its failure to act on the war in Ukraine due to the Russian veto.

He warned that this failure "has severely undermined its authority, perhaps irreparably."

He added that "the Council urgently needs a serious reform of its structure and work methods."



AFP