War in Gaza 'may aggravate' threats to international peace: UN chief

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the Security Council Wednesday that the war in the Gaza Strip "may aggravate existing threats to international peace and security."

Invoking Article 99 of the UN Charter for the first time since he became the organization's top official in 2017, Guterres said in a letter to the Council: "More than eight weeks of hostilities in Gaza and Israel have created appalling human suffering, physical destruction and collective trauma across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory."

The current conditions are making it impossible for "meaningful humanitarian operations" to be conducted, he added.

"We are facing a severe risk of collapse of the humanitarian system. The situation is fast deteriorating into a catastrophe with potentially irreversible implications for Palestinians as a whole and for peace and security in the region.

"Such an outcome must be avoided at all cost," he added.