Guterres: Gaza Facing Unprecedented Destruction, Starvation and “Israel’s” Escalating Aggression

By Staff, Agencies

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has sounded an urgent alarm over the catastrophic conditions in Gaza, warning that the scale of civilian suffering and destruction is “without parallel in recent times”.

Speaking to reporters in New York on Thursday, Guterres said that the systematic targeting of Gaza’s food, water, and healthcare infrastructure has pushed the population into starvation.

He expressed grave concern over “Israel’s” military invasion of Gaza City, calling it a dangerous escalation of hostilities.

“Hundreds of thousands of civilians—already exhausted and traumatized—would be forced to flee once again, plunging families into even deeper peril. This must stop,” the UN chief stressed.

He described the crisis as part of “an endless catalogue of horrors,” adding that Gaza is now “piled with rubble, bodies, and potential violations of international law”. Famine, he warned, is no longer a looming threat but a present-day reality.

Guterres argued that the humanitarian catastrophe is the result of deliberate policies that disregard basic human rights. As the occupying power, he said, “Israel” bears legal responsibility to guarantee access to food, water, and medicine.

He called for immediate steps to expand humanitarian access and protect both civilians and critical infrastructure. In particular, he warned that “Israel’s” stated plans to intensify military operations in Gaza City would bring further mass displacement.

“I appeal once again for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, unfettered humanitarian access across Gaza, and the unconditional release of all hostages,” Guterres declared. He concluded with a forceful warning: “Starvation of civilians must never be used as a method of warfare. Civilians must be protected, and humanitarian access must be unimpeded. No more excuses. No more obstacles. No more lies.”

Since October 2023, the “Israeli” onslaught against Gaza has killed nearly 62,900 Palestinians, the vast majority of them women and children. In Gaza City alone, more than half a million civilians are already trapped in conditions of famine.