New York: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a stark warning over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling this period potentially “the cruellest phase” of the ongoing conflict.
In a statement delivered Friday, Guterres criticized Israel’s continued military operations and its blockade of the territory, which he said had brought Gaza’s population to the brink of famine. “For nearly 80 days, Israel blocked the entry of crucial international aid,” he said, adding that the entire population of the enclave now faces famine-level conditions.
Though Israel has allowed some aid into Gaza in recent days—around 300 trucks since Monday via the Karem Abu Salem crossing—Guterres said the volume of supplies remains alarmingly low. “What has been authorised is a mere trickle when a torrent is desperately needed,” he said. UN officials noted that only a fraction of the aid has successfully reached warehouses due to security issues and disorder on the ground.
Guterres further condemned the mounting civilian casualties and destruction from Israel’s military campaign, saying that over 80% of the Gaza Strip is now either under evacuation orders or designated as militarised zones by Israeli forces. “Access for aid groups is erratic and dangerous, and the humanitarian operation is hanging by a thread,” he said. “Without immediate, safe, and sustained access, the death toll will rise further.”
According to Palestinian health officials, at least 76 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes since Friday, bringing the total death toll since October 7, 2023, to more than 53,800, with over 122,000 injured—many of them women and children.
A new aid delivery system, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by the United States and involving private contractors, is slated to begin operations by the end of the month. However, the UN has declined to participate, arguing the plan lacks compliance with international humanitarian standards.
“We will not be part of any scheme that undermines the principles of humanity, neutrality, and independence,” Guterres said, reiterating that the UN already has the capacity and resources to respond. “Nearly 9,000 truckloads of aid—160,000 pallets—are ready to go. What’s missing is access.”
Issuing a final plea, Guterres urged all parties to act swiftly: “This is a call for life-saving aid for the long-suffering people of Gaza. We must act now—and we must act responsibly.”
