UN chief reiterates call for immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday reiterated his call for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza, where Israeli attacks have killed more than 24,000 Palestinians and caused a humanitarian catastrophe.

"The world is standing by as civilians, mostly women and children, are killed, maimed, bombarded, forced from their homes and denied access to humanitarian aid," Guterres said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"I repeat my call for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza, and a process that leads to sustained peace for Israelis and Palestinians, based on a two-state solution," he said. "This is the only way to stem the suffering and prevent a spillover that could send the entire region up in flames."

He warned that risk of a full-fledged confrontation with Lebanon would be a "total disaster," and urged that it should be avoided "at all cost."

"What we are seeing in the Red Sea, all these demonstrates that it's not enough," he added.

The UN chief emphasized the importance of addressing the humanitarian situation in Gaza, establishment of cease-fire, and releasing hostages.

"But we need to find once and for all, a total commitment that the international community for the two-state solution to exist in Israel and Palestine as the basis for a stable and peaceful Middle East for the benefit of everyone," he said.

Guterres stressed that there is an "epidemic of impunity" around the world in which countries simply "trampling" with international laws.

"From Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, to Sudan, and, more recently, Gaza, parties to conflict are ignoring international law, trampling on the Geneva Conventions, and even violating the United Nations Charter," he lamented.

Israel is currently facing a genocide case brought to International Court of Justice by South Africa due to its actions in Gaza - which are repeatedly described as breach to international laws by UN. Tel Aviv, however, denies accusations of genocide by claiming that it is only trying to protect its own people.

Israel has launched a relentless military assault on Gaza after a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, which Tel Aviv says killed around 1,200 people.

During Israel’s military campaign, at least 24,448 Palestinians have been killed and 61,504 others injured. The majority of the victims were children and women.

According to the UN, 85% of the population of Gaza is already internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine.