“The people of Gaza are staring into the abyss,” Guterres told the UN Security Council

“The people of Gaza are looking into the abyss,” UN Secretary General António Guterres told the Security Council today, in an exceptional session in which he asked them to take action to stop the war in Gaza, which has now killed 17,000 Palestinians. has cost. in addition to the 1,200 Israelis.

‘The eyes of the world and of history are looking (at the Council). It’s time to act“Guterres has pushed, while it is not even clear that a new resolution can be voted today, to request a ceasefire, despite reluctance from the United States in particular, with the right of veto.

“The international humanitarian law cannot be applied selectively. It is equally binding on all parties at all times and the obligation to respect it does not depend on reciprocity,” he recalled in this session requested by him, exceptionally invoking Article 99 of the UN Charter, which allows the Secretary General to address the council in the event of a serious security threat.

The “violations of the laws of warthat Hamas has committed “does not absolve Israel of its own violations,” he reaffirmed

The situation in Gaza “could result in a complete breakdown of law and order, while increasing pressure for mass displacement towards Egypt, (but) I fear the consequences could be devastating for the entire region,” Guterres warned.

Guterres recalled that 60% of houses have been destroyed or damaged, forcing the state of emergency displacement of 85% of the population: “The people of Gaza are told to move like bottles, bouncing from place to place, smaller and smaller, without any basic need for survival.”

He once again recalled the scale of the destruction in Gaza: 339 school facilities, 26 hospitals, 56 health centers, 88 mosques and three churches destroyed after “attacks by land, sea and air”.