UN Secretary-General António Guterres repeated his
longstanding call for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, the
release of all hostages held in the enclave, and unimpeded access
for aid delivery, in remarks to the Summit of the League of Arab
States in Bahrain on Thursday.
“The war in Gaza is an open wound that threatens to infect the
entire region,” he said.
“In its speed and scale, it is the deadliest conflict in my time
as Secretary-General – for civilians, aid workers, journalists,
and our own UN colleagues.”
He stressed that nothing can justify the abhorrent 7 October
terror attacks by Hamas against Israel, or the collective
punishment of the Palestinian people.
Rafah assault ‘unacceptable'
The Secretary-General warned against an assault on Rafah, which
would be “unacceptable” as “it would inflict another surge of
pain and misery when we need a surge in life-saving aid.”
He also voiced concern over the tensions in the occupied West
Bank, highlighting the spike in illegal Israeli settlements,
settler violence and excessive use of force by the Israeli
Defense Forces, as well as demolitions and evictions.
UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, reported on Thursday
that the situation in the West Bank, including East
Jerusalem, remains alarming.
Nearly 1,400 people – mostly from herding families – have been
displaced since October, amid ongoing settler violence and access
restrictions.
OCHA said earlier this week, the last two remaining families in
the Ein Samiya herding community in Ramallah were forced to
leave, following attacks by Israeli settlers who remain in the
area, thus preventing their return.
The Secretary-General told Arab leaders that the only permanent
way to end the cycle of violence and instability between Israelis
and Palestinians is through a two-State solution.
“The demographic and historical character of Jerusalem must be
preserved, and the status quo at the Holy Sites must be upheld,
in line with the special role of the Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan,” he added.
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Peace for Sudan
Turning to Sudan, the UN chief urged the international community
to intensify efforts towards peace and called for the warring
parties to agree on a lasting ceasefire.
More than a year of fighting between the Sudanese army and rival
paramilitary known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has
generated a humanitarian crisis. Thousands of civilians have been
killed and 18 million face looming famine.
He also called for protecting “the fragile political processes in
Libya and Yemen”, and encouraged the Syrian people to come
together in a spirt of reconciliation, honouring their diversity
and respecting human rights for all.
Reform the multilateral system
Mr. Guterres also focused on other serious global crises,
including the climate emergency; rising inequality, poverty and
hunger; crushing debt; and the potential and perils of new
technology such as artificial intelligence (AI).
“We need deep reforms to the global multilateral system – from
the Security Council to the
international financial architecture – so they are truly
universal and representative of today's realities,” he
added.
He pointed to the Summit of the Future at
UN Headquarters this September as “a pivotal opportunity to
create momentum for a more networked and inclusive
multilateralism.”
Appeal for unity
The Secretary-General pointed to the enormous potential in the
Arab region.
Emphasizing that unity is the one condition for success in the
world today, he said divisions allow outsiders to intervene –
promoting conflicts, stoking sectarian tensions and inadvertently
fueling terrorism.
“These are obstacles to peaceful development and the well-being
of your peoples,” he told leaders.
“Overcoming those obstacles requires breaking the vicious circle
of division and foreign manipulation – and moving forward
together to build a more peaceful and prosperous future for the
people of the Arab world and beyond.”
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