UPDATE - Time to have humanitarian cease-fire before 'gigantic tragedy' in Gaza occurs: UN chief

ADDS REMARKS BY UN CHIEF

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern Thursday about the worsening situation in the Gaza Strip and reiterated his demand for a cease-fire.

"It is time to have a humanitarian cease-fire before a gigantic tragedy develops in Gaza, if we have the same kind of intensity of military operations in Gaza that we have seen in Khan Younis and in other parts of Gaza territory, I mean, the same in Rafah," Guterres said at a news conference at the UN headquarters in New York.

Guterres said he is worried about reports that the Israeli military intends to focus on Rafah.

"Half of Gaza’s population is now crammed into Rafah. They have nowhere to go," he said.

Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Monday that the army's next target in Gaza will be Rafah and claimed it is the last remaining stronghold of the Palestinian group, Hamas.

Guterres stressed that in Gaza, the situation "just keeps getting worse."

"In addition to the death and destruction from military operations -- starvation and disease are bearing down on Palestinians in Gaza," he added.

- ICJ decisions 'must be implemented'

Guterres said one of the UN convoys was damaged by Israeli naval artillery earlier this week, and just 10 out of 61 planned aid convoys to the north reached their destination in January.

"Let’s be clear: Denial of humanitarian access means denial of humanitarian relief for civilians. Food and water for a desperate population. Medicine and fuel for hospitals," he said.

On the recent provisional ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding Israel, Guterres said he fully supports decisions by the UN court.

"We think the International Court of Justice is the right entity to pronounce itself on these issues. We fully support the decisions of the International Court of Justice, and we clearly express that all those decisions must be implemented.

"And so, it is absolutely essential that all the decisions are implemented. Obviously, I have full confidence in the International Court of Justice to be able to act if those decisions are not properly implemented," he added.

Last month, the International Court of Justice issued an interim order demanding Israel stop obstructing aid deliveries into Gaza and improve the humanitarian situation in the enclave, following a lawsuit by South Africa accusing Tel Aviv of committing genocide.

Guterres pushed for two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.

"I will always be a strong supporter of the right of Israel to live in peace and security. I've always been a committed fighter against anti-Semitism.

"But I'm also totally committed to work for the Palestinians to be able to have their own state and to have their self-determination recognized and to the end of occupation,” he said,

Israel has pounded Gaza since a cross-border attack by Hamas in October, which Tel Aviv said killed nearly 1,200 people.

At least 27,840 Palestinians have since been killed and 67,317 others injured in the Israeli onslaught, according to local health authorities.

- Allegations against 12 UNRWA employees 'credible'

Guterres said he acted immediately after Israeli accused some of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees, or UNRWA, employees in Gaza of taking part in the Oct. 7 cross-border attack on Israel.

"First of all, we received allegations in relation to 12 names and those allegations were credible.

"If the allegations are credible, you are dealing with high risk," he said, adding that the contracts of those in question were terminated immediately under rules and regulations.

The investigation team was immediately on the ground, he said.

"If I made any mistake, it can be corrected in the future. But we couldn't run the risk not to act immediately, as the accusations were related to criminal activities that are really dangerous," he added.

Guterres also vowed to take "immediate" action on further information presented by the Israeli government related to any "infiltration of Hamas" at the UN.

"One thing that you can be absolutely sure of, any allegation that is presented to us by the government of Israel in relation to any other infiltration of Hamas in the UN, at whatever level, we will act immediately upon it," he said.

Several countries have suspended UNRWA funding since Jan. 26/

The UN agency, which was established in 1949 to help Palestinian refugees across the Middle East, warned Thursday that it will halt operations in weeks if funding remains suspended.