UN Chief warns of escalating crisis in the Middle East

United Nations’ Secretary-General, António Guterres, issued a stark warning on Sunday, stating that the Middle East was teetering on the brink of a severe crisis.

Guterres, in a statement, stressed the urgent need for humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip and called on Hamas to promptly release the hostages in their custody.

He emphasized that both objectives were essential in their own right and should not be used as bargaining chips. Guterres underlined the importance of implementing these measures for the sake of humanity.

“Gaza is facing dire shortages of water, electricity, and other vital supplies,” the UN chief expressed.

Guterres disclosed that the United Nations had pre-positioned stocks of food, water, non-food items, medical supplies, and fuel in locations including Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and the West Bank. These resources could be swiftly dispatched to Gaza “within hours” if the UN staff could safely and effectively deliver them.

In the wake of the unprecedented attacks on Israeli civilians carried out by Hamas fighters on October 7, the Israeli military has been conducting sustained operations in the region.

Hamas, the Palestinian militant organization governing Gaza, launched a barrage of rockets at Israel and orchestrated a surprise attack with hundreds of fighters breaching border defenses, resulting in a tragic incident with over 1,300 casualties. Furthermore, Hamas abducted over 150 individuals during the conflict.