UN Chief Condemns Gaza Starvation, Calls for Ceasefire

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the international community for its indifference to the severe starvation and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, calling it a "moral crisis that challenges the global conscience." He criticized the lack of compassion, truth, and humanity amid the ongoing conflict triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli blockade of Gaza. Guterres highlighted the killing of over 1,000 Palestinians attempting to access food aid since May 27 and demanded an immediate and permanent ceasefire, unconditional release of hostages, and full humanitarian access. The International Crisis Group warned that Israel's blockade is pushing Gaza toward mass starvation, with more than 16 percent of children acutely malnourished, and criticized the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation for ineffective aid distribution. The International Committee of the Red Cross also condemned the scale of suffering and lack of adequate food and clean water, emphasizing that humanitarian staff in Gaza are themselves struggling. Guterres reaffirmed the UN's readiness to scale up humanitarian operations while emphasizing that no justification exists for the widespread death and destruction occurring since the conflict began.