Guterres calls for permanent Gaza ceasefire, establishment of Palestinian state

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the international community to push for a permanent Gaza ceasefire and the establishment of a Palestinian state.

“We must keep pushing for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza & the release of all [captives] without delay,” Guterres wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday.

“A viable, sovereign Palestinian State living side-by-side in peace & security with Israel is the only sustainable solution,” he added.

On October 7, 2023, the Israeli regime, supported by the US and its other Western allies, initiated a 15-month-long genocide against the Gaza Strip, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians.

As the devastating war persisted, Israel found itself compelled to agree to a ceasefire agreement with the Hamas Resistance Movement last month, following its failure to achieve any of its stated war objectives, including the release of captives and the “elimination of Hamas.”

During its genocidal assaults on the besieged territory, the Israeli military specifically targeted critical civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and mosques.

The regime baselessly claimed that these facilities were being used as “command centers” by resistance fighters, which the resistance groups outright rejected.

The Zionist regime never provided any credible evidence to substantiate its claims.

The Israeli military actions in Gaza also resulted in the displacement of the territory’s entire population of 2.3 million, with some individuals experiencing multiple displacements, as nearly 70 percent of all structures in the Strip have been destroyed or damaged, along with 92 percent of all housing units.

Recent estimates reveal that the Israeli regime’s genocidal actions have killed at least 47,000 civilians, while leaving another 110,000 injured, with the majority being children and women.

Furthermore, approximately 12,000 Palestinians are reported missing, most of whom are believed to be dead.

The extent of damage to civilians has been so extreme that according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, at least 3000 Palestinians have suffered severe burns and disfigurement, making identification impossible.

Unexploded munitions threaten civilians in Gaza, aid group warns

An international aid organization says unexploded munitions left by Israeli forces after 15 months of the regime’s genocidal war on Gaza threaten the lives of thousands of civilians.

‘Hospitals should never be a target’

Tom Fletcher, The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, in a post on X on Sunday said he had visited Gaza’s health system.

“Hospitals should never be a target. We must rebuild fast,” he wrote.

Fletcher also said he paid a visit to Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical complex and central hospital in the Gaza Strip, located in Gaza City.

“I’m here at Al-Shifa Hospital. A hospital that has also become a mass grave. I've met doctors who operated under sniper fire, delivered babies, literally under attack,” he recounted.

“I’ve met an old woman suffering from cancer, whose son took her to the hospital, and she watched him bleed out on the road because of sniper fire, and then she watched the medical workers shot as they came to help him,” he added.

He also recounted his experience at a hospital where he saw a message written on the wall, urging the international community to take action and support Gaza’s health sector.

“On the wall of the first hospital I went to they wrote: ‘Remember that we did what we could and it’s now time for the world to do what we can and get this support into Gaza and rebuild its health sector.’”

Before the 15-month-long genocidal campaign in Gaza, there were 36 functional hospitals in the densely populated territory. However, the Israeli regime's destructive actions have resulted in the destruction of 30 hospitals and partial damage to the remaining six facilities.

Hundreds of displaced Palestinians who sought refuge within these medical establishments lost their lives during these attacks.

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