UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking at the commencement of the Belt and Road International Cooperation Forum in Beijing, has urged for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East, emphasizing the need for humanitarian considerations.
"I have issued two appeals to secure the immediate and unconditional release of hostages and to ensure unhindered access for humanitarian aid... I now call for an immediate ceasefire based on humanitarian considerations, allowing the necessary time and conditions for implementing my appeals and mitigating human suffering," stated Guterres.
Palestinian resentment over years of Israeli occupation cannot justify Hamas attacks, and Hamas actions in turn do not justify Israel's collective punishment of Palestinians, Guterres said.
"I fully understand the deep-seated resentment of the Palestinian people after enduring 56 years of occupation. However, no matter how grave these grievances are, they cannot justify the acts of terror carried out by Hamas against civilians on October 7, which I unequivocally condemned. It's important to stress that these attacks should not be used as a pretext for implementing collective punishment on the Palestinian population," he stated. The secretary-general also expressed his profound dismay over the assault on Al-Ahli hospital in the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the tragic loss of hundreds of lives.
Earlier, NBC television, citing an unnamed representative of the Palestinian movement Hamas, reported that the group was purportedly prepared to release all civilians held hostage within an hour, contingent on Israel halting its airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS