UN Secretary-General Takes Action to Expedite Aid to Gaza as Death Toll Rises and Humanitarian Crisis Mounts
UN Secretary-General Guterres actively engages with Egypt, Israel, and the United States to expedite the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza following Israeli bombings that killed thousands, mostly civilians. Aid will be delivered through the Rafah crossing, not controlled by Israel.
During his visit, Guterres expressed his active engagement with all parties involved, including Egypt, Israel, and the United States, in order to expedite the movement of trucks carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Israeli bombing campaign was launched after Hamas gunmen attacked Israel, resulting in the deaths of over 1,400 people, predominantly civilians according to Israeli officials.
The clashes between the Israeli army and the Iran-backed Islamist group Hamas led to the deaths of around 1,500 Hamas members, before the army regained control of the area. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has reported that over 3,700 Palestinians, primarily civilians, have been killed in the Israeli strikes. Notably, Rafah is the only crossing into the blockaded Palestinian territory that is not controlled by Israel, and aid delivery was allowed following a request from the United States.
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths expressed that the first aid delivery via the Rafah crossing is expected to take place in the next day or so. Guterres emphasized the urgent need to have trucks moving as soon as possible and in sufficient numbers to ensure continuous support for the people of Gaza. The UN Secretary-General highlighted the importance of authorizing meaningful convoys to supply adequate aid to Gaza.