UN News UN Secretary-General António Guterres says new “intolerable” suffering for Gazans following the resumption of deadly Israeli strikes.
He told journalists that it remains essential for three things to happen in the stricken Strip: for the ceasefire to be fully respected; for unimpeded humanitarian aid to reach Gaza; and for the unconditional release of hostages.
“We will not give up on these objectives,” Mr. Guterres said, during a Press stakeout at the UN Office at Geneva (UNOG), where he’s been leading efforts to secure a peaceful future for the divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus.
Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, urged all parties with influence “to do all in their power to achieve peace” in the region and avoid further suffering of civilians. Israeli airstrikes and shelling in Gaza will “add tragedy onto tragedy”, he warned in a post on social media X.
Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the Oberver State of Palestine, noted that Israel is not “denying” their role in “worsening the already dire humanitarian condition in Gaza” and the deliberate blockade.
These attacks are “reminiscent of the criminal bombardment our people endured for over 15 months,” he said. “Fire and fear are yet again spreading throughout the Gaza Strip.”
“We condemn these crimes in the strongest possible terms,” he said, underscoring the Security Council’s responsibility in doing their part. “You are the Security Council. Act. You have the power to act, or you become irrelevant”
“We, Palestine, are acting responsibly and with resolve to end this conflict once and for all. We will spare no efforts, and we need all the help we can get,” he said.
“We have an alternative, we have options,” he added, calling for the return to a ceasefire and support for the Arab plan for reconstruction.
“This is a historical moment where everyone must choose where they stand and which vision they see prevail,” he stated. “Life must prevail, liberty must prevail, peace must prevail.”
James Kariuki, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom, said at UN Security Counsil special meeting that the meeting came at a critical moment, as Israeli airstrikes claimed many civilian casualties.
“I want to be clear – a return to fighting will only result in the deaths of further Palestinian civilians, Israeli hostages and IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) soldiers. This conflict cannot be resolved through military means,” he said.
He stated that the humanitarian situation in Gaza “was already catastrophic” and that Israel’s continued blocking of aid into the enclave is “horrifying and unacceptable”.
“Humanitarian aid should never be used as a political tool,” Ambassador Kariuki said, noting also that the 59 hostages remaining in the Gaza Strip must be immediately released.
“We urge all parties to return to the ceasefire deal and get back to the path of peace. A negotiated two-State solution is the best way to ensure long-term security for both Israelis and Palestinians,” he added.
Jérôme Bonnafont, incoming Ambassador and Permanent Representative of France, expressed his country’s condemnation of Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip that reportedly killed hundreds of people.
“We call for an immediate end to hostilities, which compromise the efforts to release the hostages and threatens the lives of civilian population in Gaza,” he said.
He stated that all parties must respect the ceasefire and engage in good-faith negotiations to make it permanent.
“We call upon the Israeli authorities the permanent protection of all civilians and to reestablish access to water and electricity, and to immediately lift obstacles to the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza,” he said, reiterating France’s call for the release of all hostages in the enclave.
Ambassador Polyanskiy also stated that the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) plays an “irreplaceable role”, reiterating the need to ensure the two-State solution and the release of all hostages.
Without a “just” settlement, he warned, “a vicious cycle of bloodshed and violence in the Middle East will not be broken.”
Pakistani Ambassador Munir Akram said that the war in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian Territory is at another “tragic milestone”.
“This war and the manner in which the Security Council and the international community respond to the atrocities and the actions that have been taken will have a lasting impact on the nature of the world order, which we and succeeding generations inherit,” he stated, noting the conflict’s death toll and impact on civilians.
“Every principle, every article of international law and international humanitarian law has been blatantly violated with impunity, defying the resolutions of the General Assembly, the Security Council and the International Court of Justice (ICJ),” he added.
Ambassador Akram warned that unless the international community responds with justice to what has happened and is happening in the region, “our world order is likely to regress into the barbarism from which the UN Charter was supposed to rescue us.”
China;s Ambassador FU Cong said that the despite strong calls from the international community and the Gazan population’s strong desire for peace, the ceasefire has failed to enter its second phase.
“China regrets the harm done to the hard-won ceasefire,” he said, adding that it is “gravely concerned” about Israel’s new wave of attacks.
He called for the abandonment of the “logic” of supremacy of force.
“Military means are not the way to solve the Palestine-Israeli question,” he said, adding that the “stark contrast” between 15 months of bloody conflict and 42 days of ceasefire clearly shows that indiscriminate use of force is not the right way to bring back hostages.
“China urges Israel to renounce its obsession with the use of force, immediately cease military operations in Gaza, and stop the collective punishment of Gazan civilians,” he said, reiterating the need for an urgent return to the ceasefire.
Brett Jonathan Miller, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Israel, stated that his country “stands firm” in its commitment to return the hostages and defeat Hamas and that the international community should take its pledge seriously.
“We will bring home every last hostage,” he said, adding that the group refused to release the hostages and repeatedly rejected all offers from the US and the mediating countries, “even for the period of Ramadan.”
“And thus, the return to fighting is a necessity. The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is attacking targets of the Hamas terrorist organization to achieve our objective,” he added.
Ambassador Miller stated that Hamas continues to hold 59 innocent hostages and urged those “truly concerned about humanitarian crises, there is one that should be paramount – the hostages still held in Hamas’ brutal captivity.”
“Men, women, children, the elderly – innocents ripped from their homes and subjected to horrors beyond comprehension. Many are already believed to be dead, while others continue to be tormented day after day…their conditions are unknown, their treatment unimaginable,” he said.
Acting Representative of the United States, Ambassador Dorothy Shea, said the blame for the resumption of hostilities “lies solely with Hamas,” as it “steadfastly refused” every proposal and deadline presented to extend the ceasefire. “Hamas refused this offer, preferring still to hold hostage’s captive and hide among the people of Gaza, using them as human shields,” she said.
She noted that the Israel Defense Forces have been striking Hamas’ positions, adding that “it is well known that Hamas continues to use civilian infrastructure as launching pads.”
“President Trump has made clear that Hamas must release the hostages immediately or pay a high price” she continued, stating that the US supports Israel in its “next steps.”
“We must recognise Hamas’ savagery for what it is,” she stated, describing the events of 7 October 2023 as “the worst massacre” of Jews since the Holocaust, stressing the need for the immediate release of the 59 hostages still held captive.
Hamas has been wiling release more captives if Isreal agrees to negotiate a second phase of the agreement in leading to a permanent peace and ceasefire following a successful 470-day first phase resulting in release of Israeli and Palestinian captives. These new attacks have come just as Gazans have returned to their homes in the North including Gaza City.
Isreal also continues the seize on the West Bank and continue the campaign of settlements in Palestinian territories.