On Sunday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres declared, “In this dramatic moment, as we are on the verge of the abyss in the Middle East, it is my duty as Secretary-General of the United Nations to make two strong humanitarian appeals.”
According to reports, after Israel warned of an impending attack, the situation in the Gaza Strip quickly worsened, leading to thousands of deaths on both sides and hundreds of thousands of forced evacuations.
Two Appeals
Guterres’ appeal to Hamas is that those held captive be released immediately and without restrictions. Furthermore, Israel should allow urgent and unhindered access to humanitarian supplies for Gaza’s citizens.
The UN Secretary-General claimed, “Gaza is running out of water, electricity and other essential supplies. The United Nations has stocks available of food, water, non-food items, medical supplies and fuel, located in Egypt, Jordan, the West Bank and Israel.”
“Our selfless staff on the ground, along with NGO partners, need to be able to bring these supplies into and throughout Gaza safely,” Guterres said.
These goals should not be used as bargaining chips but should be implemented, said the UN Sec Gen, adding that it is “the right thing to do.”
The UN chief’s appeal comes as clean water and other vital supplies are running low in Gaza due to Israel’s siege.
.@antonioguterres makes two strong humanitarian appeals on situation in the Middle East.
— United Nations (@UN) October 15, 2023
“Each one of these two objectives are valid in themselves. They should not become bargaining chips & they must be implemented because it is the right thing to do.” https://t.co/3Hb0DiW5T5 pic.twitter.com/qnaXC4Xors
Worsening Humanitarian Crisis
Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), commented on the situation in the Gaza Strip and expressed concern that his colleagues in Gaza could no longer provide humanitarian aid.
“UNRWA operations are the largest United Nations footprint in the Gaza Strip, and we are on the verge of collapse,” he added, noting that “not one drop of water, not one grain of wheat, not a litre of fuel” had been let into Gaza in the last eight days.
Eventually, there will be no food or medicine left in the beseiged area, Lazzarini remarked. Thousands of people have been killed, including children and women. According to the UNRWA chief, Gaza is running out of body bags.
“In fact, Gaza is being strangled and it seems that the world right now has lost its humanity,” he explained.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini: "Gaza is being strangled and it seems the world right now has lost its humanity. Gaza is running out of water, and Gaza is running out of life." pic.twitter.com/nvOixavA68
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 16, 2023
Lazzarini claimed that, in one week alone, at least one million people were forced to evacuate their homes, and “a river of people continues to flow south.”
The UNRWA chief added that at least 400,000 displaced people are now staying in UNRWA schools and facilities, most of which are not equipped as emergency shelters. The majority of the 13,000 UNRWA employees in Gaza are now displaced.
“As UNRWA, we have already lost 14 staff members.” “They were teachers, engineers, guards, psychologists, an engineer, and a gynaecologist,” Lazzarini highlighted. “Old people, children, pregnant women, people with disabilities are just being deprived of their basic human dignity, and this is a total disgrace!”
Lazzarini urged that “before it is too late, the siege must be lifted and aid agencies must be able to safely bring in essential supplies such as fuel, water, food and medicine. And we need this NOW.”
Tensions Between Lebanon and Israel
The conflict is now threatening to spread throughout the region.
Following the Hamas attack that killed hundreds of Israeli residents and soldiers, Hezbollah fighters have been on high alert along Lebanon’s border with Israel.
On Friday, Hezbollah claimed its fighters fired many missiles against four Israeli areas along the border. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said on Saturday that an Israeli drone attack along the border with Lebanon killed a “cell” attempting to infiltrate Israel.
On Sunday, Hezbollah launched six anti-tank guided missiles on an Israeli town and military positions near the Lebanon border, killing one civilian and one soldier.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported significant exchanges of fire in many sites along the Blue Line between Lebanese territory and Israel on Sunday. There have been consequences on both sides of the unofficial border that divides the two countries.
The UNIFIL statement adds, “Our Naqoura headquarters was hit by a rocket and we are working to verify from where.” The operation’s peacekeepers were not in shelters at the time, but no one was injured.
Any move by Israel to occupy the Gaza Strip again would be a "big mistake," US President Joe Biden says in an interview.
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) October 16, 2023
But invading and "taking out the extremists" is a "necessary requirement," Biden said as Israeli troops prepare for invasionhttps://t.co/8hBsa0kn3P pic.twitter.com/UjX7h40BR9
Biden Warns of Escalation
On Sunday, US President Joe Biden said that he believes the militant group Hamas must be eliminated, but that there should be a way to a Palestinian state, after senior US officials warned that the confrontation between Israel and Hamas might escalate.
When asked if he believes Hamas must be eliminated, Biden replied, “Yes, I do. But there needs to be a Palestinian authority. There needs to be a path to a Palestinian state.”
Even though American warships were en route to the region, and increasing violence was taking place along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, Biden believed that American soldiers would not be required on the ground since Israel has one of the “finest fighting forces.”
The US President cautioned that Israel’s occupation of Gaza would be a mistake, but “taking out” Hezbollah and Hamas was “a necessary requirement.” He added, “It would be a mistake to ... for Israel to occupy ... Gaza again.”
According to several US sources, the US is urging Israel to hold off on its ground attack to allow humanitarian assistance for Gazans trapped in the region.