CAIRO: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made an impassioned plea on Saturday for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, decrying the devastating impact of Israeli airstrikes that have left the enclave, home to 2.4 million people, in a state of catastrophe.
Addressing a high-level summit in Cairo, Guterres described the situation as a “nightmare” and demanded urgent action to halt the ongoing Israeli brutalities against innocent Palestinian civilians.
“The Palestinian enclave is enduring a humanitarian catastrophe, with thousands dead and over a million displaced. We are at the height of a deepening tragedy,” stated Guterres, addressing leaders from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Spain, and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 4,300 innocent Palestinian civilians have been martyred since the relentless Israeli bombing campaign began on October 7. Guterres emphasized the legitimacy of the Palestinian people’s grievances, which have persisted for “decades of occupation with no end in sight,” while strongly condemning the collective punishment being inflicted upon them by Israel.
King Abdullah II of Jordan called for an immediate end to the Israeli brutalities in Gaza and condemned the global silence surrounding Palestinian suffering. He expressed profound frustration, stating, “The message the Arab world is hearing is loud and clear: Palestinian lives matter less than Israeli ones. Our lives matter less than other lives.”
Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
The summit coincided with the arrival of the first aid trucks in southern Gaza, a development that Guterres acknowledged was a positive step but emphasized the need for a significant scale-up of humanitarian efforts. He stressed that a continuous and substantial delivery of aid was essential to meet the worsening needs in Gaza, advocating for around 100 trucks per day to address the crisis effectively.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi outlined what he deemed the only solution to the 75-year Israeli-Palestinian conflict: “justice.” He emphasized the Palestinians’ legitimate rights to self-determination and called for the establishment of an independent state on their land, echoing the sentiments shared by President Abbas, who also emphasized the urgency of a two-state solution and an end to Israel’s occupation.
President Abbas vehemently rejected the prospect of further forced displacement, warning against what he termed a “second Nakba,” referencing the historical displacement of more than 760,000 Palestinians during the creation of Israel. He declared, “We will not leave,” emphasizing the unwavering resolve of the Palestinian people.
Both Cairo and Amman issued warnings that any fresh forced displacement of Palestinians would lead to the eradication of the Palestinian cause, underscoring the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
