UN Chief urges ceasefire in Gaza, probe into killings over aid
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an independent investigation into the killing of Palestinians seeking aid, urging unhindered humanitarian access and accountability.
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Palestinians carry boxes containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed organization approved by the Israeli occupation, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025 (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on Monday for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a swift, independent investigation into the killing of Palestinians who were attempting to access food aid.
In a statement issued by his office, Guterras said: "I am appalled by the reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza yesterday. It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food." He called for an "immediate" and "independent" investigation into the events and demanded perpetrators be held accountable.
The UN chief stressed that "Israel" has clear obligations under international humanitarian law to approve and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, and "to meet the enormous needs."
"The UN must be allowed to work in safety and security under conditions of full respect or humanitarian principles," he said.
Guterres reiterated his call, "I continue to call for an immediate, permanent, sustainable ceasefire. All hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally," adding there is no military solution to the war.
Aid plan used as tool for 'forced displacement'
On Sunday, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) condemned the US-Israeli aid plan in Gaza as "dehumanizing", "ineffective", and potentially a crime against humanity, as the humanitarian crisis in the region deepens.
In a powerful statement, MSF Secretary-General Christopher Lockyer criticized the militarization of humanitarian aid under the newly created Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The initiative, which aims to coordinate food distribution in southern Gaza, is being used, he argues, to justify continued military aggression and forced displacement of Palestinians.
Earlier on June 1, Israeli occupation forces, operating in coordination with an American security firm, carried out a deadly ambush near the Wadi Gaza Bridge, under the pretext of distributing “humanitarian aid”. The assault targeted thousands of desperate, hungry civilians who had gathered in central Gaza in hopes of receiving food and relief.
Lockyear referenced the chaos on 27 May during the Foundation’s first distribution effort in Rafah, where dozens of Palestinians were shot and injured while trying to access critical supplies.
“The disastrous start of the food distribution coordinated by the newly created Gaza Humanitarian Foundation confirmed that the US-Israeli plan to instrumentalise aid is ineffective,” Lockyear stated.
According to MSF, Palestinians, already deprived of essentials like food, clean water, and medical care for months, were corralled behind fences as they waited for survival items. Lockyear described the scene as a grim illustration of the inhumane treatment Palestinians have endured under Israeli occupation.
