United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday asserted that Palestinians in Gaza are going through “what may be the cruellest phase of this cruel conflict.” He mentioned that Israel’s blockade in Gaza has almost pushed the residents to the brink of a famine.
“For nearly 80 days, Israel blocked the entry of life-saving international aid. The entire population of Gaza is facing the risk of famine,” he said.
Despite Israel partially lifting the blockade to allow certain essential supplies into the territory, Guterres described the flow of supplies as woefully insufficient. The UN estimates that Gazans require at least 600 aid trucks each day to address its dire situation.
According to the BBC, An arm of the Israeli government, Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (Cogat), earlier claimed that, "there is no food shortage in Gaza at this time". According to the ministry, 53,822 people have now been killed since Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in 2023.
The UN chief has said that Israel’s offensive has led to “atrocious levels of death and destruction.”
“Eighty percent of Gaza has been either declared an Israeli militarised zone or is under evacuation orders,” he added further.
While speaking to reporters in New York, he also said that, “Without rapid, reliable, safe and sustained aid access, more people will die – and the long-term consequences on the entire population will be profound.”
Gueterres had earlier stated that the aid allowed in Gaza is merely “a drop in the ocean.”
