Conflicts & War

UN chief says Gaza civilian killings ‘unparalleled, unprecedented’

United Nations, Nov 20 (EFE).- United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said on Monday that the world had witnessed an “unparalleled and unprecedented” death toll in Gaza over the past six weeks of war between Hamas and Israel, resulting in thousands of children being killed.

Responding to a question at a press conference, Secretary-General Guterres emphasized that, during his tenure, reports on children in conflict consistently revealed the tragic reality that “thousands of children” had been killed in Gaza within a few weeks.

Gaza health authorities have said more than 13,000 civilians have been killed in the Palestinian enclave since the Israeli army launched a massive military operation on the strip on Oct. 7 after Islamist Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people.

“This is what matters. We are witnessing a killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented in any conflict since I have been Secretary-General,” Guterres said.

Meanwhile, a tweet by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNWRA, on Monday described the situation in shelters as “unlivable,” emphasizing the lack of options for Gazans and the absence of safe spaces for civilians.

Since the military offensive, hundreds of thousands of Gazans have fled south following evacuation orders from the Israeli military.

Satellite images have captured the mass movement of people against a backdrop of destroyed buildings, while photographs taken at ground level showed families carrying their belongings on foot and a woman dragging two babies in car seats behind her.

According to the UN agency, more than 880,000 internally displaced people have sought shelter in 154 UNRWA installations across all five of Gaza’s governorates. Out of Gaza’s 2.3 million people, 1.7 million are now displaced.

To date, 104 UNRWA staff have been killed, along with at least 11,000 people in Gaza, according to health authorities.

Meanwhile, in Geneva, a large Palestinian flag and posters calling for the liberation of Palestinian territory from Israeli occupation were displayed near the UN office at the historic Palais des Nations.

The posters featured slogans such as “Support Palestine, Support Humanity,” “Palestine, you will never walk alone,” and “Save Palestine,” along with images depicting the current situation in Gaza and demonstrations in defense of the Palestinian people.

The organizer of the event, a Swiss activist who prefers to remain anonymous, told EFE that he had the approval of the Geneva authorities. EFE

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