'Israel' uninterested in serious negotiations for Gaza ceasefire: UN
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UN chief Antonio Guterres says Gaza’s situation is “horrendous", accusing "Israel" of blocking aid and refusing serious ceasefire negotiations or captives release.
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Smoke rises to the sky following an Israeli army airstrike in Khan Younis in Gaza on August 18, 2025 (AP)
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described on Tuesday the aggression on Gaza as “horrendous", accusing "Israel" of showing no willingness to engage in serious negotiations for a ceasefire or the release of captives.
‘What happens in Gaza today is horrendous’
Responding to questions on the UN Commission of Inquiry’s determination that "Israel" has committed genocide in Gaza, Guterres clarified that it is not the secretary-general’s role to make such a legal judgment, which belongs to judicial entities like the International Court of Justice.
“What happens in Gaza today is horrendous,” Guterres said at a news conference, describing the situation as a “systematic destruction” and “massive killing of civilians in a way that I do not remember in any conflict since I am Secretary-General.”
He added that "Israel’s" impediments to aid distribution and repeated displacement orders are “morally, politically, and legally intolerable.”
Ceasefire negotiations, captives' release
While expressing hopes for a permanent ceasefire and the release of captives, Guterres said "Israel" appears determined to press on with its aggression.
“At the present moment, it looks like Israel is determined to go up to the end and is not open to a serious negotiation for a ceasefire, with the dramatic consequence… that it is also not allowing for the release of hostages,” he said.
He pointed to the recent attack in Qatar on Hamas negotiators as further evidence that "Israel" is uninterested in meaningful talks.
UN peacekeeping force not viable
Asked about the possibility of a UN protection force in Gaza, Guterres dismissed the idea, saying it would not be accepted by "Israel" or the US.
The secretary-general also criticized divisions within the UN Security Council, calling its paralysis “a source of impunity that undermines our work.”
“It is not the UN, it’s the member states that are divided that do not allow the UN to work properly,” he stressed.
This comes as the death toll from the Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 7, 2023, as of September 16, 2025, has risen to 64,964, in addition to 165,312 injuries, amid relentless Israeli bombardment that is sparing nothing.
