UN chief calls for lifting of Gaza blockade
By Ali Mustafayev
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for the blockade of the Gaza Strip to be lifted on August 30 as he visited the Palestinian enclave enduring "one of the most dramatic humanitarian crises" he had seen.
"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, France24 reported.
He later said it was "important to open the closures," in a reference to Israel's decade-long blockade of Gaza and to the 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.
“I have a dream. A dream to one day see the Holy Land with two states – Israel and Palestine – living in peace and security together,” said Guterres.
Israel says the blockade is necessary to keep Hamas, which runs the enclave, from obtaining weapons or materials that could be used to make them. The blockade also serves to isolate Hamas.
UN officials say the enclave is fast becoming unliveable, with sparse electricity and a lack of clean water.
Guterres's comments came as he wrapped up a three-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
---
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention.
Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis.
By subscribing to our online newspaper, you can have full digital access to all news, analysis, and much more.
You can also follow AzerNEWS on Twitter @AzerNewsAz or Facebook @AzerNewsNewspaper
Thank you!