UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly asserted on Friday that hungry people in Gaza seeking food must not face a “death sentence,” amid controversy surrounding a new US- and Israeli-backed aid distribution system.
Guterres criticized any operation that directs “desperate civilians into militarized zones” as inherently dangerous and lethal, though he didn’t explicitly name the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
The health ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory reports over 500 deaths near aid centers since late May among those desperately seeking supplies.
The GHF, however, denies that fatal shootings have occurred in the immediate vicinity of its distribution points.
Starting in March, Israel had blocked deliveries of crucial supplies into Gaza for over two months, leading to warnings of widespread famine across the occupied Palestinian territory.
The United Nations maintains that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is illegal under international law.
The densely populated Gaza Strip has been largely devastated by Israeli bombardment since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
Israel began allowing a small flow of aid at the end of May, utilizing the GHF, which operates with armed US contractors and Israeli troops on its perimeter.
Guterres stressed that the issue of humanitarian aid distribution needs a proper solution, stating, “There is no need to reinvent the wheel with dangerous schemes.”
The UN and major aid organizations have refused to collaborate with the GHF, citing concerns that its operations align with Israeli military objectives and violate fundamental humanitarian principles like impartiality and neutrality.
“We have the solution — a detailed plan grounded in the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence. We have the supplies. We have the experience. Our plan is guided by what people need,” the UN chief emphasized.
He noted that only a “handful” of medical aid crossed into Gaza this week, the first such shipment in months.
Guterres urged for a dramatic increase in aid, stating, “A trickle of aid is not enough. What’s needed now is a surge — the trickle must become an ocean.”
He also highlighted the importance of ensuring the suffering of Palestinians isn’t “pushed into the shadows” as global attention shifts to the Israel-Iran conflict, calling for “political courage for a ceasefire.”
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