TheNewsGuru

Tag: António Guterres

  • UN Chief condemns Benue attacks

    UN Chief condemns Benue attacks

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the attacks perpetrated over the weekend in Benue, North Central Nigeria, in which scores of civilians were killed.

    Guterres said those responsible for the violence should be apprehended.

    According to news reports, dozens of people were killed while they slept and several displaced following brutal attacks on the village of Yelewata.

    Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said “We’re monitoring the situation.

    “The Secretary-General condemns the killing of innocent civilians, including in Nigeria and  we hope that those responsible for this violence will be found and apprehended.”

    President Bola Tinubu condemned the ongoing violence in Benue and called on all leaders and residents to embrace peace, love, and mutual understanding.

    Tinubu will travel to the state on Wednesday as part of renewed efforts to foster peace and address the persistent conflict affecting communities in the state.

    During his visit, he is expected to meet with stakeholders, including traditional rulers, political, religious, community leaders and youth groups to seek lasting solutions to the hostilities.

    The president extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to all those who have suffered losses as a result of the crisis.

  • Guterres calls for reparations, justice for Africans, diaspora

    Guterres calls for reparations, justice for Africans, diaspora

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres renewed his calls for Member states and the United Nations to work towards justice and reparations for Africans and the diaspora.

    Guterres, in a speech in New York on Friday expressed deep regrets over what he termed “colossal injustices” against Africa, including transatlantic slave trade and colonialism.

    “Africa is a continent of boundless energy and possibility,” the UN chief declared. But for too long, the colossal injustices inflicted by enslavement, the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism have been left unacknowledged and unaddressed,” he said.

    The UN has repeatedly said that slavery and the transatlantic slave trade constituted crimes against humanity and the Secretary-General has repeatedly called for redress for these injustices.

    “I deeply regret that these wrongs were perpetrated by many countries, including my own and they continue to distort our world today.”

    Speaking to the Africa Dialogue Series, which is focused on the theme of justice through reparations, Guterres noted that the movement for reparatory justice was gaining momentum around the world.

    He said this was reflected by the declaration of the Second Decade for People of African Descent, which ran through 2035.

    The last decade, which ended in 2024, yielded tangible results, with over 30 Member States revising laws to better tackle racial discrimination, Guterres, however, noted that much work remained.

    “We point to the poisoned legacies of enslavement and colonialism, not to sow division but to heal them,” he said.

    Guterres underlined the entrenched nature of racism and exploitative systems, saying that these systems had disadvantaged African countries and people of African descent beyond the end of colonialism and enslavement.

    “Decolonization did not free African countries, or people of African descent, from the structures and prejudices that made those projects possible,” he said.

    “In fact, when the United Nations was founded and many of the global structures established, some African countries were still colonies.

    “When African countries gained their independence, they inherited a system built to serve others, not them,” the Secretary-General said.

    The President of the General Assembly, Philémon Yang, underlined the importance of teaching this history through national curricula and monuments such as The Ark of Return at UN Headquarters.

    “Knowledge of our true history can serve as a powerful compass in our onward march towards progress,” Yang said.

    This year’s dialogue focused on “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations”, and is also the African Union’s theme for 2025.

  • World leaders must re-boot global cooperation for today and tomorrow – By Antonio Guterres

    World leaders must re-boot global cooperation for today and tomorrow – By Antonio Guterres

    By Antonio Guterres

    Final negotiations are underway in New York for this month’s Summit of the Future, where Heads of State will agree on reforms to the building blocks of global cooperation. The United Nations has convened this unique Summit because of a stark fact: global problems are moving faster than the institutions designed to solve them.

    We see this all around us. Ferocious conflicts and violence are inflicting terrible suffering; geopolitical divisions are rife; inequality and injustice are everywhere, corroding trust, compounding grievances, and feeding populism and extremism. The age-old challenges of poverty, hunger, discrimination, misogyny and racism are taking on new forms.

    Meanwhile, we face new and existential threats, from runaway climate chaos and environmental degradation to technologies like Artificial Intelligence developing in an ethical and legal vacuum. The Summit of the Future recognizes that the solutions to all these challenges are in our hands. But we need a systems update that only global leaders can deliver.

    International decision-making is stuck in a time warp. Many global institutions and tools are a product of the 1940s – an era before globalization, before decolonization, before widespread recognition of universal human rights and gender equality, before humanity travelled into space – never mind cyberspace.

    The victors of World War II still have pre-eminence in the UN Security Council while the entire continent of Africa lacks a permanent seat.  The global financial architecture is heavily weighted against developing countries and fails to provide a safety net when they face difficulties, leaving them drowning in debt, which drains money away from investments in their people.

    And global institutions offer limited space for many of the major players in today’s world – from civil society to the private sector. Young people who will inherit the future are almost invisible, while the interests of future generations go unrepresented.

    The message is clear: we cannot create a future fit for our grandchildren with a system built for our grandparents. The Summit of the Future will be an opportunity to re-boot multilateral collaboration fit for the 21st century.

    The solutions we have proposed include a New Agenda for Peace focused on updating international institutions and tools to prevent and end conflicts, including the UN Security Council.

    The New Agenda for Peace calls for a renewed push to rid our world of nuclear arms and other Weapons of Mass Destruction; and for broadening the definition of security to encompass gender-based violence and gang violence. It takes future security threats into account, recognizing the changing nature of warfare and the risks of weaponizing new technologies. For example, we need a global agreement to outlaw so-called Lethal Autonomous Weapons that can take life-or-death decisions without human input.

    Global financial institutions must reflect today’s world and be equipped to lead a more powerful response to today’s challenges – debt, sustainable development, climate action.  That means concrete steps to tackle debt distress, increase the lending capacity of multilateral development banks, and change their business model so that developing countries have far more access to private finance at affordable rates.

    Without that finance, developing countries will not be able to tackle our greatest future threat: the climate crisis. They urgently need resources to transition from planet-wrecking fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy.

    And as leaders highlighted last year, reforming the global financial architecture is also key to jump-starting desperately needed progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.

    The Summit will also focus on new technologies with a global impact, seeking ways to close the digital divide and establish shared principles for an open, free and secure digital future for all.

    Artificial Intelligence is a revolutionary technology with applications and risks we are only beginning to understand. We have put forward specific proposals for governments, together with tech companies, academia and civil society, to work on risk management frameworks for AI and on monitoring and mitigating its harms, as well as sharing its benefits. The governance of AI cannot be left to the rich; it requires that all countries participate, and the UN is ready to provide a platform to bring people together.

    Human rights and gender equality are a common thread linking all these proposals. Global decision-making cannot be reformed without respect for all human rights and for cultural diversity, ensuring the full participation and leadership of women and girls. We are demanding renewed efforts to remove the historic barriers – legal, social and economic – that exclude women from power.

    The peacebuilders of the 1940s created institutions that helped prevent World War III and ushered many countries from colonization to independence. But they would not recognize today’s global landscape.

    The Summit of the Future is a chance to build more effective and inclusive institutions and tools for global cooperation, tuned to the 21st century and our multipolar world.

    I urge leaders to seize it.

  • Prepare for next pandemic – UN chief raises alarm

    Prepare for next pandemic – UN chief raises alarm

    UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has urged the world to prepare for the next pandemic and act on lessons learned from COVID-19.

    Guterres said this in a message on Wednesday to mark the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness

    The International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, celebrated annually on Dec.27, provides an opportunity for renewed commitment to the vital work of epidemic preparedness.

    It’s also an ideal moment to reflect on the progress made to date—progress that in 2023 demonstrated the important link between global goals and local advocacy.

    The COVID-19 pandemic affected hundreds of millions of lives, caused millions of deaths and inflicted devastating impacts on humanity.

    After three years of unprecedented global efforts, on May 5, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency, stressing however, that it does not mean the disease is no longer a global threat.

    “Economic damage inflicted by the pandemic endures. Many healthcare systems are struggling. Millions of children are threatened by disease after missing out on routine childhood vaccinations,” Guterres said.

    The UN chief noted that three years after the first COVID-19 vaccines were developed, billions of people remain unprotected – overwhelmingly in developing countries.

    “When the next pandemic arrives, we must do better. But we’re not yet ready. We must prepare and act on the lessons of COVID-19,” he urged.

    “We must renounce the moral and medical disaster of rich countries hoarding and controlling pandemic healthcare supplies, and ensure everyone has access to diagnostics, treatments and vaccines,” he stressed, adding that WHO’s authority and financing must also be strengthened.

    According to him, the way forward lies through global cooperation and that the world must improve surveillance of viruses, strengthen health systems, and make the promise of Universal Health Coverage a reality.

    The secretary-general said these efforts were making progress.

    He recalled that the High-level meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, held in September, concluded with a robust political declaration which complements negotiations underway towards a pandemic accord.

    This first-ever global agreement aims to enhance collaboration, cooperation, and equity in responding to pandemics of the future, WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus said in his end-of-year message published on Tuesday.

    According to the UN chief, the pandemic accord will help to create a safer and healthier world with a universal system of response to disease eruptions.

    Guterres urged countries to build on this momentum by delivering a strong, comprehensive accord, focused on equity.

    “Together, let’s act on the lessons of COVID-19, prepare, and build a fairer, healthier world for all,” he said.

  • General Assembly approves $3.59bn UN budget for 2024

    General Assembly approves $3.59bn UN budget for 2024

    The General Assembly has approved a US$3.59 billion budget for the United Nations for 2024, including the establishment for a special account to finance the Organisation’s peace-building fund.

    The Office of the President of the General Assembly, in a statement on Sunday, stated that the budget was approved on Friday.

    In actions taken on Friday, the 193-member General Assembly also adopted nearly US$50 million in additional funding for decisions taken by the Human Rights Council, UN’s primary forum on human rights matters.

    It also decided to establish the Peace-building Account, a dedicated multi-year special account, as a modality to finance the Peace-building Fund. Additionally, it approved US$50 million of assessed contributions per annum to fund the Account, starting 1 January 2025.

    The Peace-building Fund is the UN’s leading instrument to invest in prevention and peace-building efforts and support joint responses to address critical peace-building opportunities, connecting development, humanitarian, human rights and peace-building pillars.

    Back in October, the Secretary-General had presented a US$3.3 billion budget proposal to the General Assembly, stressing to delegates at the Assembly’s main budget committee that “the role of the United Nations has never been more vital.”

    In his presentation, the UN chief also voiced concern over the deteriorating liquidity situation of the Organisation, urging countries to ensure timely and full payments.

    The Assembly further adopted a resolution that includes provisions to expand the coverage of UN official intergovernmental meetings in Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish languages.

    The 20 positions, classified as general temporary assistance (GTA), includes editors, press officers and assistants working in the four languages.

    Similarly, in a statement, the Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, welcomed the Security Council’s unanimous adoption, on December 21, 2023, of Resolution 2719 (2023) on the financing of African Union-led Peace Support Operations.

    “Since the start of his mandate, the Secretary-General has repeatedly called for a new generation of Peace Support Operations, led by African partners, with guaranteed funding, including through UN assessed contributions, to respond to the peace and security challenges on the continent.

    “This is also one of the key recommendations of his recent policy brief on A New Agenda for Peace.

    “This ground-breaking resolution by the Council will help address a long-standing and critical gap in the international peace and security architecture and bolster the international community’s efforts to tackle peace and security challenges on the continent.’’

    According to the statement, the Secretary-General is committed to further strengthen the strategic partnership with the African Union, including through the implementation of this milestone resolution.

    It stated that the United Nations would continue its collaborative efforts with the African Union towards political solutions to address conflicts on the continent and enhance AU-UN consultative decision-making process as outlined in the resolution.

    Also on Friday, the General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning the killing of UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) staff and the destruction of buildings under the UN flag, amidst the ongoing fighting in the Gaza Strip.

    As of Saturday, 142 UNRWA staff members have been killed and 123 installations damaged. Other UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Development Programme  (UNDP) have also lost their personnel.

    On Friday, Issam Al Mughrabi, a UNDP staff member alongside his wife, children and members of his extended family,  were killed in an Israeli air strike.

  • UN chief mourns 89 staff killed in Gaza

    UN chief mourns 89 staff killed in Gaza

    UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, on Monday joined the UN family in mourning 89 staff from its agency that assisted Palestine refugees (UNRWA), who were killed in Gaza.

    Guterres told journalists at UN Headquarters in New York that the Gaza crisis was more than humanitarian crisis: “The nightmare in Gaza is more than a humanitarian crisis.  It is a crisis of humanity.”

    According to him, many of these colleagues – who include teachers, school principals, doctors, engineers, guards and support staff – were killed along with their family members.

    Among them was a young woman called Mai, who “did not let her muscular dystrophy or her wheelchair confine her dreams,” becoming a top student and eventually working in information technology for UNRWA.

    Guterres appealed for international action now towards “a way out of this brutal, awful, agonising dead end of destruction,” including to help pave the way to peace and a two-State solution for Israelis and Palestinians.

    The UN chief also underlined the need to support a 1.2 billion dollar humanitarian appeal to help nearly three million people across the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

    He also voiced ongoing grave concern over rising violence and an expansion of the conflict between Israeli forces and Hamas militants, stating that “the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is at a boiling point.”

    Guterres highlighted how “the unfolding catastrophe in Gaza makes the need for a humanitarian ceasefire more urgent with every passing hour,” stressing that the protection of civilians is paramount.

    “Gaza is becoming a graveyard for children. Hundreds of girls and boys are reportedly being killed or injured every day.

    “More journalists have reportedly been killed over a four-week period than in any conflict in at least three decades.

    “More United Nations aid workers have been killed than in any comparable period in the history of our organisation,” he said.

    However, he said the humanitarian appeal – launched by the UN and partners – would assist the entire population in the Gaza Strip and half a million Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

    Guterres said although some aid was getting into Gaza via the Rafah crossing from Egypt, this “trickle of assistance does not meet the ocean of need.”

    Over the past two weeks, 400 trucks have made the journey, compared with 500 a day prior to the conflict, and the aid deliveries have not included desperately needed fuel.

    “Without fuel, newborn babies in incubators and patients on life support will die.

    “Water cannot be pumped or purified. Raw sewage could soon start gushing onto the streets, further spreading disease. Trucks loaded with critical relief will be stranded,” he warned.

    The secretary-general said the way forward wasclear, repeating his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and for all parties to respect international humanitarian law.

    He reiterated his appeals for the unconditional release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, and for the protection of civilians, hospitals, UN facilities, shelters and schools.

    “More food, more water, more medicine and of course fuel – entering Gaza safely, swiftly and at the scale needed.  Now.

    “Unfettered access to deliver supplies to all people in need in Gaza.  Now. And the end of the use of civilians as human shields.  Now,” he said.

    Israel-Palestine crisis: ‘Enough is enough’ UN humanitarians appeal

    Some UN agencies have appealed for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to allow more lifesaving aid into Gaza as the Israel-Palestine crisis enters the second month.

    Among those uniting behind the message that “enough is enough,” is UN relief chief Martin Griffiths who renewed earlier pleas for the immediate and unconditional release of the more than 240 hostages captured by Hamas and held in Gaza since Oct. 7.

    All parties should respect their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, the UN agency leaders insisted, amid media reports of huge explosions from airstrikes across northern Gaza overnight.

    “Civilians and the infrastructure they rely on – including hospitals, shelters and schools – must be protected,” they said.

    The humanitarian leaders, in a joint statement, called the killings of large numbers of civilians in Gaza an “outrage.” So too was the fact that the Strip’s 2.2 million residents continue to be cut off from food, water, medicine, electricity and fuel.

    The humanitarian officials stressed that an entire population is besieged and under attack, denied access to the essentials for survival, bombed in their homes, shelters, hospitals and places of worship.

    “This is unacceptable,” they insisted.

    United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that in Gaza people are braving airstrikes to line up outside bakeries in the hope of buying bread, while power sources continued to dwindle.

    Multiple solar panels on the roofs of buildings, particularly in Gaza City, have reportedly been destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in the past few days, OCHA said.

    This has eliminated one of the remaining sources of energy for hospitals and water and food production as fuel continues to be banned from entering the Strip by the Israeli authorities.

    Meanwhile, massive displacement prompted by an Israeli Defence Forces’ order to Gazans to leave Gaza City and the north of the enclave on Oct. 13 has aggravated the already fragile health situation in Gaza.

    Over 700,000 of the 1.5 million internally displaced people across the Strip are sheltering in 149 facilities run by the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), which are severely overcrowded.

    Several cases of acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea and chicken pox have been reported among people taking refuge at UNRWA shelters.

    UNRWA has deplored the fact that its shelters have been repeatedly hit by Israeli fire and are no longer safe for those seeking refuge there.

    On Saturday, an UNRWA school in Jabalia camp north of Gaza City was directly hit by strikes which killed 15 people and injured 70.

    The agency said over 160,000 displaced people were sheltering in 57 of its facilities in Gaza City and the North Gaza governorate, as of Oct. 12, before an evacuation order was issued by the Israeli Authorities.

    However, UNRWA warned that, “it is not able to access these shelters to assist or protect the internally displaced persons and does not have information on their needs and conditions.”

    Since Oct. 7 the agency has mourned the loss of 88 of its own staffers – the highest number of United Nations fatalities ever recorded in a single conflict.

  • UN chief ‘horrified’ by strike on ambulance convoy in Gaza

    UN chief ‘horrified’ by strike on ambulance convoy in Gaza

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres has described a strike on an ambulance convoy outside a hospital in the Gaza Strip as horrific, reiterating his appeal for a humanitarian ceasefire.

    The ambulances evacuating critically injured and sick patients to Al Shifa Hospital in the south of the Gaza Strip were struck at the entrance of the hospital on Friday, according to reports.

    “I am horrified by the reported attack in Gaza on an ambulance convoy outside Al Shifa Hospital. The images of bodies strewn on the street outside the hospital are harrowing,” Guterres said in a statement.

    He stated that he did not forget the terror attacks committed in Israel by Hamas and the killing, maiming and abductions, including of women and children.

    He stressed that all hostages held in Gaza must be released immediately and unconditionally.

    Guterres added that for nearly one month, civilians in Gaza, including children and women, have been besieged, denied aid, killed and bombed out of their homes.

    “This must stop,” he stressed.

    Guterres further noted that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is “horrific”.

    “Not nearly enough food, water and medicine are coming in to meet people’s needs. Fuel to power hospitals and water plants is running out,” he said, noting that shelters by the UN agency assisting Palestine refugees (UNRWA) were at nearly four times their full capacity “and are being hit in bombardments”.

    “Morgues are overflowing. Shops are empty. The sanitation situation is abysmal. We are seeing an increase in diseases and respiratory illnesses, especially among children. An entire population is traumatised. Nowhere is safe.”

    Renewing his appeals for a humanitarian ceasefire, the secretary-general underscored that international humanitarian law must be respected.

    “Civilians and civilian infrastructure, including humanitarian and medical workers and assets must be protected. Civilians must also not be used as human shields,” he said.

    The UN chief also urged that essential supplies and services, and unimpeded humanitarian access must be safely allowed into and across Gaza “at a scale commensurate with this dramatic situation”.

    The UN chief underscored that “all those with influence must exert it to ensure respect for the rules of war, end the suffering and avoid a spillover of the conflict that could engulf the whole region.”

    Similarly, Director-General  of World Health Organisation Tedros Ghebreyesus, said he was “utterly shocked” by the strike on the ambulances.

    “Utterly shocked by reports of attacks on ambulances evacuating patients close to Al Shifa hospital in Gaza, leading to deaths, injuries and damage,” Ghebreyesus said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

    “We reiterate: patients, health workers, facilities, and ambulances must be protected at all times, always,” he stressed.

    In a separate statement, the agency also said that attacks on healthcare, including the targeting of hospitals and restricting the delivery of essential aid such as medical supplies, fuel, and water, may amount to violations of international humanitarian law.

    “WHO reiterates its call for an immediate ceasefire, emphasizing the urgent need to protect all health workers, patients, health transport, and health facilities.’’

  • Israel allows entry of emergency aid coordinator in spite row with UN

    Israel allows entry of emergency aid coordinator in spite row with UN

    Israel said that it is allowing UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths to enter the country more than three weeks after the start of the Gaza war.

    The spokesman for the Foreign Ministry confirmed on Monday.

    His entry had been authorised “at the request of other states to expedite the departure of foreign nationals from the Gaza Strip.’”

    Israel had announced last week that it would deny entry to representatives of the UN as it had done in the past.

    It is according to critical statements of Israel by UN Secretary General António Guterres.

    Guterres had criticised Israeli counter-attacks in the Gaza Strip and spoke of clear violations of international humanitarian law.

    He condemned the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, but said it had not taken place in a vacuum, referring to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

    Terrorists carried out massacres of civilians in Israel on Oct. 7 on behalf of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.

    More than 1,400 people died in the massacre and in the days that followed.

    Militants also abducted at least 239 people to the densely populated coastal area. Since then, Israel’s military has attacked targets there.

    According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza, 8,306 Palestinians had been killed by Monday.

  • Israel-Palestine: UN Chief reiterates call for humanitarian ceasefire

    Israel-Palestine: UN Chief reiterates call for humanitarian ceasefire

    The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has reiterated the call for immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the war ongoing between Israel and militant group Hamas.

    Guterres made the call in his address at the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation summit that held between 18 and Oct.19, in Beijing.

    The summit with the theme: “High-quality Belt and Road cooperation: together for common development and prosperity,” marked the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

    The UN chief said there is the need to give space among warring forces to ease suffering of the people.

    According to him, to Hamas there is the need for immediate and unconditional release of hostages, and to Israel, there is the need to immediately allow unrestricted access of humanitarian aid to respond to the most basic needs of the people of Gaza.

    “The overwhelming majority of whom are women and children.” he said.

    The UN chief, therefore, said he is aware of the grievances of the Palestinians, adding that brutal attacks against civilians could not be justified.

    He also condemned the attacks on Al Ahli hospital in Gaza October 17 that killed hundreds of people.

    “I am fully aware of the deep grievances of the Palestinian people after 56 years of occupation.

    “As serious as these grievances are they cannot justify the acts of terror against civilians committed by Hamas on Oct. 7, that I immediately condemned.

    “I call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to provide sufficient time and space to help realize my two appeals and to ease the epic human suffering we are witnessing,” he added.

  • Middle East on ‘verge of abyss’ – UN chief

    Middle East on ‘verge of abyss’ – UN chief

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Sunday that the Middle East was on the “verge of the abyss” as he urged Islamist Hamas to immediately release the hostages it took.

    Guterres in a statement also called for swift humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip.

    “Each one of these two objectives are valid in themselves.

    “They should not become bargaining chips and they must be implemented because it is the right thing to do.

    “Gaza is running out of water, electricity, and other essential supplies,” the UN chief said.

    Guterres added that the UN has stocks of food, water, non-food items, medical supplies, and fuel available in Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and the West Bank which could be sent to Gaza “within hours” if staff could deliver them safely and without impediment.

    The coastal enclave of Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, with about 2.2 million people living on around 45 square kilometres.

    The Israeli military has been bombarding targets in the area since the unprecedented attacks on Israeli civilians carried out by Hamas fighters on Oct. 7.

    The Palestinian militant organisation, which rules Gaza, launched thousands of rockets toward Israel while hundreds of its fighters breached border defences in an unprecedented surprise attack over a week ago in a massacre that left more than 1,300 dead.

    It also abducted more than 150 people.

    One week after the start of the latest conflict, the number of dead in the Gaza Strip has risen to 2,670, the Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Sunday.

    Following Hamas’ large-scale attack, Israel tied the basic provision of services to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip to the release of Israeli hostages held by the Islamist organisation.

    Gaza was on edge on Sunday evening as Israel’s expected ground offensive was delayed to allow more civilians in Gaza to move south to avoid the incursion by the Israeli military.

    Israel’s repeated instructions to Gazans to leave the area have been widely criticized, including by the UN which has warned of the danger of a “humanitarian catastrophe.”

    Israel’s stated goal is to wipe out the political and military leadership of Hamas.