UN Chief Condemns Latest Attacks on Ukraine which Leave 30+ Dead | DW News

Dec 30, 2023 | UN Secretary General António Guterres has condemned Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine. At least 30 people were killed and many more injured. Ukraine's government says more than 150 missiles and drones struck cities nationwide, damaging vital infrastructure, as well as industrial and military facilities. Schools and a maternity hospital were among the buildings hit

Gaza Is Becoming a 'Graveyard for Children', Says António Guterres

Nov 6, 2023 | The UN secretary general has warned that 'no one is safe' in Gaza as he reiterated his urgent call for a humanitarian ceasefire. He said Gaza was 'becoming a graveyard for children' with hundreds of boys and girls reportedly killed or injured every day. Israeli ground operations and bombardments are hitting civilians, hospitals, refugee camps, mosques, churches and UN facilities including shelters, Guterres said. He said the situation in Gaza was 'more than a humanitarian crisis, it is a crisis of humanity'.

Read the GUARDIAN article here.

Civilian Casualties in Israel-Hamas War 'Alarming,' Warns UN Secretary-General Guterres

Oct 24, 2023 | The war between Israel and Hamas has created a crisis in the Middle East "growing more dire by the hour," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said during a meeting of the Security Council on Tuesday.

"The war in Gaza is raging and risks spiraling throughout the region. Divisions are splintering societies, tensions threaten to boil over."

The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas into Israel left over 1,400 Israelis killed in the fighting. Israel has responded with a bombardment of Gaza. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, more than 5,700 Palestinians have been killed in the two weeks since the war began.

Guterres condemned the Hamas attack and called for the release of hostages while also noting the attack "did not happen in a vacuum."

"The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing," Guterres said.

"The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas, and those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people."

Guterres also called on fuel to be allowed into Gaza, which is currently being blockaded by Israel. He said United Nations efforts to distribute aid would not be possible without fuel for trucks and that Gaza's hospitals would not be able to function without electricity.


WIKIPEDIA: António Guterres »

Related article here.

Israel Demands UN Chief Resign after ‘Horrible’ Hamas Attack Comments

THE TELEGRAPH: António Guterres backed calls for a ceasefire, as he suggested the Oct 7 massacre was linked to ‘56 years of suffocating occupation’


Israel demanded the resignation of the UN secretary-general on Tuesday over “shocking” comments in which he suggested that the Oct 7 attack was provoked by the “suffocating occupation” of the Palestinian territories.

Eli Cohen, the Israeli foreign minister, cancelled a planned meeting with António Guterres over his comments, asking him: “Mr Secretary-General, in what world do you live?”

Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, said Mr Guterres should resign immediately, saying he was not fit to lead the organisation. » | Tony Diver, US Editor ; Henry Samuel and Ben Farmer | Tuesday, October 24, 2023