United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday issued a stark warning over the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, declaring that the current U.S.-backed aid delivery operation is “inherently unsafe” and “killing people.”
Speaking at a press conference at U.N. headquarters in New York, Guterres stressed that the “search for food must never be a death sentence,” as civilians continue to risk their lives just to obtain basic necessities.
“People are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families,” Guterres said. “Any operation that channels desperate civilians into militarized zones is inherently unsafe. It is killing people.”
Guterres painted a grim picture of the humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian enclave, saying that U.N.-led aid efforts are being “strangled,” and even aid workers are starving. He underscored that Israel, as the occupying power, is obligated under international law to agree to and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance both into and throughout Gaza.
“The conflict between Israel and Iran has dominated headlines,” he said. “But we cannot allow the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza to be pushed into the shadows. The cease-fire achieved between Iran and Israel offers hope. And hope is more needed than ever.”
The U.N. chief emphasized that humanitarian relief must be delivered “swiftly, at scale, wherever people are,” and criticized improvised approaches that risk civilian lives. “The problem of the distribution of humanitarian aid must be solved,” he said. “There is no need to reinvent the wheel with dangerous schemes.”
Guterres called on the international community to support the U.N.’s existing framework, which he described as a “detailed plan grounded in the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence.”
“We have the solution,” he said. “We have the supplies. We have the experience.”
