United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday warned that Gaza is on the brink of total collapse, urging an immediate cease-fire and unimpeded humanitarian access amid Israel’s ongoing blockade.
“Gaza is a killing field and civilians are in an endless death loop,” Guterres said during a press conference at U.N. headquarters in New York. “More than an entire month has passed without a drop of aid into Gaza. No food. No fuel. No medicine. No commercial supplies. As aid has dried up, the floodgates of horror have re-opened.”
He emphasized that humanitarian pauses have previously enabled the delivery of aid and the release of hostages, adding, “Above all, we know cease-fires work.”
Citing the Geneva Convention, Guterres said Israel, as the occupying power, is legally obligated to ensure the provision of food, medical care, and public health services to civilians in Gaza.
“None of that is happening today,” he said, noting that essential aid – including food, medicine, and shelter supplies – is piling up at border crossings while Gaza remains sealed off.
Guterres condemned Israel’s newly proposed “authorization mechanisms” for aid delivery, saying they risk “further controlling and callously limiting aid down to the last calorie and grain of flour.”
“Let me be clear: We will not participate in any arrangement that does not fully respect the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence, and neutrality,” he said. “Unimpeded humanitarian access must be guaranteed.”
The U.N. chief also called for the protection of humanitarian personnel, describing aid workers in Gaza as “heroes” risking their lives to help others. “They are under fire and yet doing all they can to follow the path they chose – to help people,” he said.
Guterres reiterated his demand for justice and an independent investigation into the killing of humanitarian workers, including U.N. personnel. “There must be justice and accountability when they [obligations] are not upheld,” he added.
“The world may be running out of words to describe the situation in Gaza, but we will never run away from the truth,” Guterres said. “The current path is a dead end – totally intolerable in the eyes of international law and history.”
He also warned of growing violence in the occupied West Bank, saying, “The risk of the occupied West Bank transforming into another Gaza makes it even worse.”
Guterres concluded his remarks with a call to action: “It is time to end the dehumanization, protect civilians, release the hostages, ensure lifesaving aid, and renew the cease-fire.”
