Geneva, Nov 29 (EFE).- United Nations chief Antonio Guterres called for «an end to the occupation and the blockade of Gaza» on Wednesday, commemorating the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
The Secretary-General’s statement was read at a commemorative UN event in Geneva, Switzerland.
“I am horrified by the death and destruction that have engulfed the (Middle East) region, which is overwhelmed with pain, anguish, and heartache,” Guterres said in the statement.
He said the UN observed the day to reaffirm international solidarity with the Palestinian people and their right to live in peace and dignity.
“That must start with a long-term humanitarian ceasefire, unrestricted access to life-saving aid, the release of all hostages, the protection of civilians, and an end to violations of international humanitarian law,” the UN chief said.
“We must be united in demanding an end to the occupation and the blockade of Gaza.”
On November 29, 1947, the UN adopted a resolution advocating the creation of two states in then-British Palestine.
Since 1977, the General Assembly has observed the day as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
“It is long past time to move in a determined, irreversible way towards a two-state solution, based on United Nations resolutions and international law, with Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security,” Guterres said.
The remarks came amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza war that has left a trail of death and destruction in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli military campaign has killed over 15,000 people, most of them women and children, according to the Palestinian authorities.
The dead in Gaza include over 100 UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) workers.
Israel declared war on Gaza on Oct. 7 after a multi-pronged attack by militants of the Islamist Hams group in southern Israel killed over 1,200 people.
The UN chief said that the Palestinians in Gaza have been suffering a humanitarian catastrophe as almost 1.7 million people have been forced from their homes, and the situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, “risks boiling over.”
«I have been clear in my condemnation of the terror attacks by Hamas on October 7. But I have also been clear that they cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.» EFE
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