• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

As the war between Israel and Gaza continues, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said Gaza is "becoming a graveyard for children", CNN reported. The UN chief also mentioned the number of UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), who have been killed since October 7. The figure stood at 89.

Speaking to reporters in New York, Guterres said, "The nightmare in Gaza is more than a humanitarian crisis. It is a crisis of humanity." He added that the need for a ceasefire is becoming "more urgent with every passing hour."

"The parties to the conflict--and, indeed, the international community--face an immediate and fundamental responsibility: to stop this inhuman collective suffering and dramatically expand humanitarian aid to Gaza," he said.

ALSO READ Gaza Hospitals On Brink Of Collapse, Children Undergoing Surgeries Without Anaesthesia As Israel-Hamas War Halts Life

Taking to X, Guterres mentioned that the ongoing conflict has cost more lives of its staff than in any comparable period in the history of our organisation.

"I join in the mourning of 89 of our @UNRWA colleagues who have been killed in Gaza--many of them with members of their family," he added, as per CNN.

Image from Gaza city amid the ongoing war (Image Credits: Reuters)

Earlier on Tuesday, UNRWA said that at least 26 members had been injured.

ALSO READ Turkey Bans Brands On Its Parliament Premises Over 'Support' To Israel In War With Hamas

"We are beyond devastated. Our colleagues will be greatly missed, and they will not be forgotten. We share this grief with each other and with the families," the agency said on X.

Guterres's remark came four weeks after Israel declared war on Hamas in retaliation of the latter's surprise attack that killed 1,400 people in Israel and saw about 240 others kidnapped.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has declared that Israel will retain "complete freedom of action to respond to any situation in the Gaza Strip" once the ongoing war ends, CNN reported on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, Gallant emphasised that "at the end of this 'campaign,' Hamas, as a military organisation or governing body in Gaza, will cease to exist," CNN reported citing Ynet news website.

(With inputs from ANI)