Antonio Guterres in Rafah: “We must silence the guns” in the Gaza Strip

The Secretary General of the United Nations visited Egypt this Saturday, March 23, and more precisely to the gates of the Gaza Strip. Antonio Guterres called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to end the “nightmare”. The head of Israeli diplomacy strongly attacked him, via the social network X.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks from the Rafah border post on the Egyptian side this Saturday, March 23, 2024. AP - Amr Nabil

By: RFI with AFP

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After more than five months of war, while the

Gaza

enclave is devastated, its population displaced, on the verge of famine,

Antonio Guterres

went this Saturday to the Egyptian side of the city of Rafah, to draw attention to the “ 

pain

” of the Palestinians, prisoners of an “ 

endless nightmare

 ”, he said.

He visited the Egyptian border post the day after the rejection of a UN Security Council resolution

for

a truce in Gaza, and insisted on the need for an end to the fighting. “

 You are not alone

,” he said to the Palestinians in a statement to the press, without however announcing any concrete measures.

Now more than ever, an immediate humanitarian ceasefire is needed, the guns must be silenced. The Palestinians of Gaza, children, women, men, are still stuck in a never-ending nightmare. Communities wiped out, houses demolished, entire families and generations wiped out, with hunger, the family affecting the population. Ramadan is a time to spread the values ​​of compassion, community and peace. And it is monstrous that after so much suffering, after so many months, the Palestinians of Gaza are experiencing Ramadan with Israeli bombs still falling, bullets still flying, humanitarian aid still facing obstacles.

00:47

Statement by Antonio Guterres from Rafah

Alice Moreno

“ 

There is no justification for the horrific attacks by Hamas on October 7. And nothing justifies the collective punishment suffered by the Palestinian people

,” considers the UN number one, who calls on the Palestinian organization to “ 

immediately release all the hostages

” kidnapped during its unprecedented attack on Israeli soil.

Mr. Guterres also asked

Israel

to make a “

solid commitment

” to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. He also attracted the wrath of the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, Israel Katz, who sharply attacked the UN boss on the social network X this Saturday.

Nothing justifies the horrific attacks by Hamas.



Nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.


‌ It


's time for a humanitarian ceasefire, a commitment by Israel for unfettered access for humanitarian goods throughout Gaza, and the release of all hostages.

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 23, 2024

Antonio Guterres “

 blamed Israel for the humanitarian situation in Gaza, without condemning in any way the Hamas terrorists who plunder the aid

”, considers the head of Israeli diplomacy. And to accuse: “ 

Under his leadership, the UN has become an anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli organization.

»

the UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres, stood today on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing and blamed Israel for the humanitarian situation in Gaza, without condemning in any way the Hamas-ISIS terrorists who plunder humanitarian aid, without condemning @UNRWA that…

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) March 23, 2024

To rereadWar in Gaza: the head of the UN “dismayed” that the conflict continues despite Ramadan

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