By Serife Cetin
New York (AA) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip, which was designated a "humanitarian zone" for displaced Palestinians.
"This (attack) underscores that nowhere is safe in Gaza," according to a statement that said Guterres is "shocked and saddened" by the strike that killed 90 victims in a densely populated humanitarian area where displaced persons are located.
"The UN Secretary-General condemns the killing of civilians, including children and women," it noted.
Referring to Israel’s claim of targeting "two Hamas members," the statement said: "The Secretary-General underlines that international humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack, must be upheld at all times."
It reiterated Guterres's demand for an immediate cease-fire and the release of hostages in Gaza, stating that "the war must end."
At least 300 were also injured in the attack, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza.
Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.
More than 38,300 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 88,300 injured, according to local health authorities.
Over nine months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.
*Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul