As Israel continues its relentless war on Gaza, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has urged the European leaders to “stick to principles in Ukraine as in Gaza without double standards”.
Standing alongside EU Council President Charles Michel, who chaired the EU summit in Brussels, Guterres told reporters, “The basic principle of international humanitarian law is the protection of civilians.” He appealed to EU leaders to remain united in their respect for the United Nations Charter.
Around 32,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli war on Gaza since Oct 7. At least 74,188 Palestinians have been injured in the Israeli military offensive, according to the Gaza health ministry. Some 65 Palestinians were killed and 92 injured in the past 24 hours, the ministry said in a statement.
Guterres’ remarks came amid fears of a famine hitting the Israeli occupied Palestinian territories very soon as Israeli occupation forces continue to disrupt aid supplies into Gaza and other part of Palestine.
Earlier, officials from 36 countries and UN agencies gathered in Cyprus to discuss how to expedite aid to besieged Palestinians in Gaza via a sea route launched last week.
The gathering was attended by Sigrid Kaag, the UN’s senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, as well as Curtis Ried, chief of staff of the US National Security Council.
Cyprus foreign minister Constantinos Kombos said, “We are discussing how we can max up operational capacity both in terms of departure and means of transport and also in relation to the reception and distribution methodology.”
