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 the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
“It is time to create hope for the Palestinian people that a Palestinian state will emerge,” Guterres said at a news conference from Egypt’s Arish Airport after visiting the Rafah border crossing, which connects the Sinai Peninsula with the Gaza Strip. connects.
The UN chief has said that “everything possible” must be done to prevent an Israeli offensive in the Palestinian town of Rafah, at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, where some 1.5 million people have been left stranded by the war. displaced, crowded together. October 7.
“Everyone is going to take on their responsibilities towards History. For me it is clear: we must avoid a catastrophic situation in Rafah,” Guterres said, adding that there is “a clear consensus” among the US, the European Union, the UN and the international community against this ground offensive.
When asked how to mitigate the consequences of an offensive in Rafah, the diplomat replied: “Don’t ask me how I can guarantee that the Israeli government will do what is necessary. because it is clear that the Israeli government normally does not do what I ask of it.”.
Likewise, he lamented that it still persists to this day There are many obstacles to delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, where residents are facing famine, and affirmed that it is essential to agree on a ceasefire in order to provide the necessary aid to the population.
“There is no way to effectively distribute aid in Gaza without a humanitarian ceasefire,” Guterres stressed, recalling that even there are times when aid enters the Gaza Strip “the distribution degenerates into situations of violence and situations where people being bombed.”
In addition, he denounced the obstacles of the Israeli authorities in obtaining aid to the enclave, such as the refusal of some items, inspections that last days or the refusal to allow the entry of convoys. “There are a number of obstacles that the Israeli authorities have maintained that make it very difficult to achieve an adequate level of assistance,” the United Nations chief lamented.
Upon his arrival in Egypt, Guterres met with the governor of North Sinai province, Mohamed Shosha, who told him that obstacles imposed by Israel have prevented about 7,000 trucks from entering the enclave, a report said. statement from the provincial government.
The diplomat today began a short tour that will take him to Cairo, where he will break the fast of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan with Sudanese refugees, and travel to Jordan on Sunday to meet with the country’s main authorities and review facilities to visit the Agency. of the UN Refugee Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
