UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in an interview with Reuters Next, expressed grave concern over the military operations in Gaza, noting the civilian death toll as a clear indicator of a grave problem. Israel’s military campaign, aimed at dismantling Hamas following the killing of 1400 individuals on October 7, has not only continued its aerial bombardment but also initiated a ground invasion of the besieged strip.
Guterres pointed out that while Hamas has committed violations by using civilians as human shields, the sheer number of civilian casualties, including the death of 10569 people, 40% of whom are children, suggests something fundamentally amiss with the military operations. He emphasized the importance of Israel recognizing that the grim daily imagery of the tragic humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people does not bolster its image in the global public opinion.
Israeli officials, including UN representative Gilad Erdan, have contested Guterres’ remarks, challenging the credibility of the casualty figures provided by Gaza’s Health Ministry. Erdan argued that Israel makes concerted efforts to minimize civilian casualties and drew historical parallels to question the UN Chief’s implication of wrongdoing based on casualty numbers alone.
Guterres, while condemning the Hamas attack, underscored the need to differentiate between the militant group and Palestinian civilians, stating that failing to do so would mean losing the essence of humanity itself. He compared the children’s death toll in Gaza to global conflict figures, labeling Gaza as a “graveyard for children” and highlighting the stark discrepancy in the scale of casualties.
The UN’s controversial list in the report on Children and Armed Conflict, aimed at exposing conflict parties to encourage protective measures for children, has seen diplomatic tensions, with Israel reportedly exerting pressure to avoid inclusion. In a significant move, Guterres added Russian forces to the list after verified reports of 136 child deaths in Ukraine in 2022, with the next report due mid-next year.
Guterres described Gaza’s humanitarian situation as catastrophic and is advocating for a ceasefire to allow relief aid access. He revealed that 92 UNRWA workers had been killed and stressed the critical need for a steady flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The UN is working to bolster humanitarian access, with negotiations ongoing with Israel, the US, and Egypt to ensure effective aid distribution—currently deemed insufficient and delayed.
Regarding the post-conflict governance of Gaza, Guterres hopes for a “best-case scenario” where a revived Palestinian Authority could take political control, acknowledging the necessity of a negotiated transitional period involving Palestinians and Israelis. Discussions about a potential UN peacekeeping force are premature, according to Guterres, who sees this as the starting point for serious two-state solution negotiations, leading to a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel.