UN chief calls Gaza a ‘Killing field,’ demands immediate ceasefire

NEW YORK: António Guterres, the UN secretary general, has described Gaza as a “killing field” and urged the international community to act immediately to halt the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the besieged Palestinian territory.

Speaking during a press encounter in New York, Mr Guterres said more than a month had passed without a single truck of humanitarian aid entering Gaza.

“No food. No fuel. No medicine. No commercial supplies,” he said. “As aid has dried up, the floodgates of horror have re-opened. Gaza is a killing field – and civilians are in an endless death loop.”

He stressed that the brief ceasefire observed in the past had proven effective in allowing the release of hostages and delivering life-saving aid across Gaza. But its breakdown, he added, had brought renewed despair for Palestinian civilians and families of Israeli hostages.

“That is why I have consistently been pushing for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, a permanent ceasefire, and full humanitarian access,” Mr Guterres said.

The UN chief warned that with crossing points into Gaza closed, humanitarian agencies were unable to deliver aid. Meanwhile, supplies were piling up at the border, and essential equipment was stuck due to bureaucratic and security obstacles.

Referring to international humanitarian law, Mr Guterres reminded the world of Israel’s obligations as the occupying power under the Fourth Geneva Convention to ensure food, medical care, and public health in Gaza.

“None of that is happening today,” he declared, calling on Israel to allow unrestricted humanitarian access.

He also criticized newly proposed Israeli mechanisms for controlling aid deliveries, which he said risked “callously limiting aid down to the last calorie and grain of flour.” He reaffirmed that the UN would not take part in any system that did not fully respect humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence, and neutrality.

The Secretary-General praised humanitarian workers in Gaza for risking their lives under fire and called for an independent investigation into the killing of UN personnel.

“The current path is a dead end – totally intolerable in the eyes of international law and history,” he said. “It is time to end the dehumanization, protect civilians, release the hostages, ensure lifesaving aid, and renew the ceasefire.”