UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Sunday for the “immediate” resumption of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, following Israel’s announcement to suspend the entry of aid into the besieged Palestinian territory.
In a statement, Guterres’ spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said, “The Secretary-General calls for the immediate return of humanitarian aid to Gaza, the release of all hostages, and urges all parties to make the necessary efforts to avoid a resurgence of hostilities in Gaza.”
For his part, Thomas Fletcher, head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), wrote on the social media platform X: “Israel’s decision to halt aid to Gaza is concerning. International humanitarian law is clear: we must be allowed access to provide vital and essential assistance.”
Fletcher emphasized the importance of allowing humanitarian organizations to operate without obstacles to meet the urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza, noting that the continued suspension of aid could exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation in the Strip.