Guterres condemns Gaza aid obstruction as UN rejects US-Israeli plan
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned "Israel's" severely limited aid access to Gaza as insufficient for a deepening humanitarian crisis, rejecting participation in the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and warning that without safe and sustained delivery, more lives will be lost.
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Palestinians struggle to receive cooked food distributed at a community kitchen in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, Friday, May 23, 2025 (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a sharp rebuke of "Israel's" current facilitation of humanitarian aid into Gaza, stating that the occupying power has only permitted "what amounts to a teaspoon of aid when a flood of assistance is required."
He reiterated the UN's refusal to participate in the new US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) initiative.
"Without rapid, reliable, safe and sustained aid access, more people will die – and the long-term consequences on the entire population will be profound," Guterres warned on Friday, amid growing concern over the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave.
"Israel" has reported that roughly 300 aid trucks entered Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing since partially lifting its 11-week blockade. Yet, according to Guterres, insecurity and Israeli-imposed restrictions have allowed only a fraction of that aid to be delivered. "So far only about a third of those truckloads have been transported from the crossing to warehouses within Gaza due to insecurity," he noted.
Aid Workers Targeted
The UN chief's comments come just hours after the Gaza Government Media Office condemned the "full-fledged crime" committed by the Israeli military, which targeted and killed six members of local aid security teams in Deir al-Balah. The office accused the Israeli army of seeking to create "chaos and anarchy" to obstruct the distribution of aid and enable the looting of relief trucks.
Although "Israel" has temporarily allowed UN and international aid groups to resume limited operations, it is preparing to transition control of aid delivery to the newly formed GHF — a model reliant on private contractors and so-called "secure hubs" for handoff to civilian teams. The UN, however, refuses to support what it views as a fundamentally flawed and politicized system.
"The United Nations has been clear: We will not take part in any scheme that fails to respect international law and the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality," Guterres stated.
Read more: US-backed Gaza aid plan relies on mercenaries, sparks outcry: FT
Trucks Waiting
While "Israel" claims its blockade is aimed at preventing Hamas from diverting supplies, Hamas denies any interference with humanitarian aid.
The UN insists that it already has an effective plan in place to distribute assistance safely and impartially. "The supplies – 160,000 pallets, enough to fill nearly 9,000 trucks – are waiting," Guterres stressed. "This is my appeal for life-saving aid for the long-suffering people of Gaza: Let's do it right. And let's do it right away."
Meanwhile, Gaza's Health Ministry reported Friday that 60 Palestinians were killed and 185 others injured in the last 24 hours alone as "Israel" continues its bombardment. Civil defense teams say they are unable to reach many areas due to ongoing airstrikes, leaving victims under rubble and in the streets.
Since October 7, 2023, the total death toll in Gaza has climbed to 53,822, with over 122,000 wounded. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under mounting international scrutiny and facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, declared that the war in Gaza would only end if US President Donald Trump's controversial Gaza relocation plan is implemented—a demand he made public for the first time this week.
