UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the world should not “fear” Israeli reactions as the state continues its war in the Gaza Strip and seeks to gradually annex the West Bank.
اضافة اعلان
Reports indicate that Israel has threatened to annex the West Bank if Western countries move forward with recognizing the State of Palestine on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting next week in New York.
Guterres stated: “We should not feel afraid of retaliatory responses, because whether we act or not, these measures will continue. At least there is an opportunity to rally the international community to apply pressure to prevent it.” He added to AFP: “I do not think we are talking about a retaliatory response regarding this or that. There has been a continuous progression in the Israeli government’s actions aimed at completely destroying Gaza now, and gradually annexing the West Bank.”
He led calls for Israel to halt its war in Gaza and reverse the “unprecedented” attack it threatens on Gaza City. He said: “This is the worst level of death and destruction I have seen since I assumed office, and perhaps in my lifetime, and the suffering of the Palestinian people is indescribable… famine, total lack of effective healthcare, people living without adequate shelter in severely overcrowded areas.”
However, the UN Secretary-General refrained from labeling Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide,” despite UN agencies using the term, which Israel strongly rejects.
He explained: “The problem is that it is not within my mandate to legally determine whether genocide has occurred.” He added: “This is not within my authority. But let us be clear, the issue is not the word; the issue is the reality on the ground.”
The Israeli army began its assault on Gaza City on Tuesday, recently urging residents to move south, although many Palestinians say they do not know where to go.
—(Agencies)
