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U.N. chief warns Gaza ceasefire gains extinguished; calls for immediate, unconditional humanitarian access
Summary
Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council that a recent ceasefire in Gaza briefly offered hope for hostage releases and aid deliveries but was undone in mid-March; he and U.N. agencies warned of worsening shortages, repeated displacement and barriers to relief operations.
António Guterres, U.N. secretary-general, told Security Council members that a recent ceasefire in Gaza briefly "brought a glimmer of hope" for hostage releases and lifesaving aid, but that those "embers of opportunity were cruelly extinguished" on March 18. He called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and a permanent ceasefire.
The secretary-general said the U.N. is alarmed by statements from Israeli officials implying the use of humanitarian aid as a tool of military pressure, adding that "aid is nonnegotiable" and that Israel "must protect civilians, and it must agree to relief schemes and facilitate them." He told the council there must be no hindrance to humanitarian aid, including the work of U.N. agencies and partners.
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