Hamas attacks on Israel did not happen “in a vacuum”, says UN secretary-general

The Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, said that the attacks by the radical Islamic group Hamas on Israel on October 7 “did not happen in a vacuum” during his statements to the Security Council this Tuesday (24 ).

“It is also important to recognize that Hamas’ attacks did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subject to a suffocating occupation for 56 years,” he stated, adding that Palestinians “have seen their lands constantly devoured by settlements and plagued by violence.”

At the same time, Guterres noted that the context “does not justify Hamas’ terrible attacks.” He added that the Palestinian people should also not be collectively punished for the extremist organization’s attacks.

Therefore, according to the secretary, all parties to the conflict must “take constant care when conducting military operations to spare civilians”, as well as “respect and protect hospitals and respect the inviolability of UN facilities, which today house more than 600 thousand Palestinians.”

Guterres called Israel’s intense attacks on Gaza “deeply alarming” as “the level of civilian casualties and the mass destruction of neighborhoods continue to rise.”

At least 35 UN staff working for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees have been killed in bombings in Gaza over the past two weeks, according to the secretary-general.

He said there were “clear violations of international humanitarian law” in Gaza, giving as an example Israel’s order to evacuate more than a million people earlier this month.

Guterres stressed that the humanitarian aid authorized to enter the territory does not correspond to the needs of the population, which included fuel supplies, which are expected to run out “in days”.

He reiterated his call for “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire”, a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict and an immediate release of all hostages.

See also: UN calls for ceasefire and humanitarian aid in Gaza

Source: CNN Brasil

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