UN Chief Calls Gaza Starvation “Beyond Tragic”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres defied Israeli opposition by visiting the Rafah crossing on Saturday, denouncing the “moral outrage” of blocked relief trucks on Egypt’s side and the looming starvation crisis in Gaza. He called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages, urging Israel to guarantee unimpeded access for humanitarian aid throughout Gaza.

Speaking at the Rafah crossing, Guterres emphasized the urgent need to streamline aid flow into Gaza, pledging continued collaboration with Egypt for this purpose. He lamented the heartbreak and injustice witnessed at the crossing, with blocked relief trucks on one side and the specter of starvation on the other, deeming it “more than tragic” and a “moral outrage.”

Read more: EU Foreign Policy Chief Labels Gaza Open-Air Graveyard

Guterres had earlier arrived at El Arish Airport in North Sinai, Egypt. However, the Israeli foreign minister criticized his visit to Rafah, accusing the UN of bias against Israel under Guterres’ leadership. The minister’s remarks came shortly after Guterres called for a ceasefire to facilitate his visit to Rafah. “Under his leadership, the UN has become an anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli body that shelters and emboldens terror,” the Foreign Minister Israel Katz asserted on X.