UN chief Antonio Guterres calls for lifting of Gaza blockade
jabalia — UN chief Antonio Guterres called for the blockade of Gaza to be lifted on Wednesday as he visited the Palestinian enclave enduring “one of the most dramatic humanitarian crises” he had seen.
The secretary general’s comments came as he wrapped up his first visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories since taking office.
Repeatedly throughout the visit he has called for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, long the focus of international diplomacy but currently under threat.
On Wednesday in Gaza, Guterres said he had been struck by humanitarian conditions in the overcrowded and impoverished enclave, where an electricity crisis has worsened and clean water is lacking.
“I am deeply moved to be in Gaza today, unfortunately to witness one of the most dramatic humanitarian crises that I’ve seen in many years working as a humanitarian in the United Nations,” Guterres said.
He later said it was “important to open the closures,” in a reference to Israel’s decade-long blockade of Gaza and its border with Egypt that has remained largely closed in recent years.
Guterres made the comments at a school run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, in the northern Gaza Strip.
At least 70 percent of Gazans are dependent upon international aid. UNRWA plays a major role in the strip, with the same percentage of the population classified as refugees.
Palestinian militants in Gaza and Israel have fought three wars since 2008. — AFP