UN Secretary-General António Guterres made an urgent call on Friday to maintain the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, urging the parties involved to fulfill their commitments and avoid any breach of the agreement. During a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, Guterres announced his upcoming trip to Cairo, where he will participate in an Extraordinary Summit of the Arab League scheduled for next week. The main objective of this summit will be the reconstruction of Gaza, a territory that has been devastated after over 15 months of Israeli bombings and military operations, which were triggered by Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, resulting in approximately 1200 deaths and over 250 hostages.
Guterres emphasized that this summit represents a critical opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss the necessary elements to achieve peace and stability in the region. “Their unified position will help guide the way forward,” he stated. According to official figures from Gaza, over 47,000 Palestinians had lost their lives before the ceasefire began on January 19, while structural conditions have deteriorated drastically, with over 90% of homes damaged or destroyed.
The Secretary-General underscored the seriousness of the current situation, stating that the coming days are crucial for the continuation of the ceasefire. “The parties must spare no effort to prevent a breakdown of this agreement,” he emphasized. Guterres also called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and urged humane treatment for captives, highlighting the need to maintain humanitarian assistance to the residents of Gaza. “Every moment the ceasefire is upheld allows us to reach more people and save more lives,” he pointed out.
In addition to the ceasefire, Guterres stressed the importance of establishing a long-term political framework for the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza, which must be based on international law. During his address, the Secretary-General spoke out against any form of ethnic cleansing, insisting on the need to ensure there is no lasting Israeli military presence in Gaza, while addressing Israel’s security concerns.
Regarding the situation in the West Bank, Guterres expressed alarm at the increase in violence, including Israeli military operations and settler attacks, resulting in deaths and displacements. He called for unilateral actions, such as settlement expansion, to cease in order to prevent the situation from worsening.
Finally, the Secretary-General reaffirmed that the only path to lasting peace is a two-state solution, where Israel and Palestine can coexist in peace and security in accordance with international law. Guterres concluded his speech with a strong call to avoid the resumption of hostilities in a delicate context that could further destabilize the region.
via: MiMub in Spanish