Antonio Guterres renews ceasefire appeal as Israel intensifies assault on Gaza
According to the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), the Israeli army has been issuing evacuation orders across wide areas of Jabalya, using quadcopters to drop messages and placing direct phone calls to residents.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, warning that a full-scale Israeli assault on the city could unleash massive civilian casualties and worsen a deepening humanitarian crisis.
Speaking on Thursday at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), Guterres said the mounting death toll and destruction in Gaza highlight the urgent need to halt the fighting and secure the release of hostages.
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"It is vital to immediately reach a ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional release of all hostages and to avoid the massive death and destruction that a military operation against Gaza City would inevitably cause," the Secretary-General said.
His appeal came as the Israeli military confirmed the start of what it called a "preliminary phase" of operations in northern and central Gaza on Wednesday, including Jabalya and the Az Zaytoun and As Sabra neighbourhoods of Gaza City.
According to the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), the Israeli army has been issuing evacuation orders across wide areas of Jabalya, using quadcopters to drop messages and placing direct phone calls to residents.
OHCHR added that more than 50 residential buildings have been destroyed since August 8, with some neighbourhoods completely reduced to rubble.
"Continuous airstrikes, shelling and UAV bombing were reported, including against residential buildings," the UN rights office said in a statement.
Guterres also criticised Israel's decision to approve the construction of more than 3,000 new settlement units in the occupied West Bank
"The decision by the Israeli authorities to expand illegal settlement construction, which would divide the West Bank, must be reversed. All settlement construction is a violation of international law," he said.
The war in Gaza, which started in October 2023 after Hamas attacked Israel, has now entered its second year, causing one of the world's largest humanitarian crises. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed, while many more have been displaced from their homes.
Israel has also blocked the entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, leaving struggling families without basic supplies. Aid agencies warn that the situation is on the edge of collapse as the death toll continues to rise.
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