'October 7th attack didn't take place in a vacuum': UN chief
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The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation, the UN chief said.
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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters, on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023 (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres conveyed to the 15-member Security Council on Tuesday that he was "deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza" and that "at a crucial moment like this, it is vital to be clear on principles - starting with the fundamental principle of respecting and protecting civilians."
"It is important to also recognize the attack by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation," the UN chief added.
However, Guterres said that Palestinian grievances cannot justify resistance operations by Hamas and that these operations cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
António Guterres: "it is important to also recognise the attack by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of occupation.. their people displaced & their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution.. have been vanishing" pic.twitter.com/zcnYiCXgHi
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) October 24, 2023
Read more: 'Israel' blocks fuel entry to Gaza claiming Hamas would "steal it"
Food, medication, and water have been transported into Gaza by 54 trucks since Saturday; Guterres referred to this as "a drop of aid in an ocean of need."
This comes as the third batch of trucks carrying aid arrived in Gaza through the Rafah border from Egypt.
20 aid trucks crossed into Gaza on Saturday, another 17 on Sunday, and around a dozen crossed yesterday - bringing the number of aid trucks to at least 49.
In a clear attempt to hinder and choke aid deliveries, the Israeli prime minister's office declared on Sunday that the Israeli regime would not send any humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and would also stop any unauthorized deliveries from other nations.
"Israel will not provide any humanitarian aid to Gaza and will prevent any unsupervised supply from others," the office was quoted as saying by the Haaretz newspaper.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Cairo reported last week that approximately 100 trucks carrying 1,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid are waiting to enter from Egypt into the Gaza Strip.
The main hospital in Gaza City, Al-Shifa Hospital, is set to exhaust its electricity supply in the next 24 hours, as reported by Guillemette Thomas, the medical coordinator for Palestine at Doctors Without Borders, on Friday.
As part of the 20-truck convoy that was transported through the Rafah border crossing, the United Nations Children's Fund announced that it had provided around 44,000 bottles of water to Gaza, a quantity enough for 22,000 people per day.
"Israel" has cut off water, food, and energy supplies to the Strip, which has made life unbearable for more than 2 million Gazans and has left over 5,000 martyrs.
