Secretary General warns of ‘new and dangerous phase’ for Gaza war

Sphinx-Albawaba News: Ahmed Ali

United Nations

New York City, New York- Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the Israeli administration’s blatant disregard for international and humanitarian law, warning of a “new and dangerous phase” in the Gaza conflict.

Ahead of his briefing to the Security Council on Haiti’s dire humanitarian situation, Guterres strongly denounced the ongoing violence in Gaza and the West Bank, stating, “The levels of death and destruction are unparalleled.”

He particularly noted that recent developments have created what he describes as a “new and dangerous phase” of the war. As of August 15, the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) confirmed sufficient evidence of a famine across the Gaza Strip. On August 7, Israel’s Defense Cabinet approved a plan for the full military occupation of Gaza City. By August 20, Israel officially endorsed the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank, known as the E1 area project. Just this Monday, Israel launched consecutive missile strikes on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, killing 22 people, including health workers, emergency responders, and five journalists.

With “hundreds of thousands of civilians exhausted and displaced,” Guterres reiterated that the “endless catalogue of horrors must stop.” According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 366 UN personnel, 192 journalists, and over 62,000 Palestinians have been killed.

Alongside calls for “accountability”, the Secretary-General renewed demands for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and the urgent lifting of the Israeli humanitarian blockade.