United Nations chief says Gaza is a “field of murder” as agencies urge the world to act on blockade of Israel

The Secretary-General of the United Nations said: “Aid has dried up [and] The horror gates reopened in the Gaza Strip, Israel blocked all goods and resumed the war against Hamas.

“Gaza is a killing field, and civilians are in an endless cycle of death,” António Guterres said on Tuesday.

His comments were made at the heads of six UN agencies calling on world leaders to take action to ensure the arrival of Palestinian food and supplies.

Israel's foreign ministry insists that Gaza has enough food and accused Guterres of “exercising slander against Israel.”

Israel blocked Gaza on March 2 after the first phase of the ceasefire expired. Hamas refused to expand part of the armistice, accusing Israel of violating its promises.

Israel then updated its air bombing and ground offensive on March 18, after which the Ministry of Health killed 1,449 Palestinians. The Israeli army insists that it is not targeting civilians.

In his speech to reporters, Guterres said that Israel, as the right to occupy, has an obligation to ensure that food and medical supplies become populations under international law.

“The current road is a dead end – completely unbearable in international law and history,” he said.

Israel's Foreign Ministry responded to the comments, saying there was no shortage of aid in Gaza.

“As always, you don't let the facts get in the way when slandering with Israel,” spokesman Oren Marmorstein said.

He added: “There is no shortage of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip – more than 25,000 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip within 42 days of the ceasefire.”

Guterres' comments come after a joint statement issued by six UN agencies on Monday, which said on Monday that world leaders must act urgently to ensure food and aid supplies can be delivered to Rastean Palestinians.

The statement said the Gaza people were “trapped again, bombed and starved to death.”

It said: “The latest ceasefire has allowed us to achieve bombs, blockages and looting things within 60 days, preventing us from doing what we did within 470 days after the war: life-saving supplies reached almost every part of Gaza.”

“Although this gives a brief breath, it is far from reality that asserts that there is now enough food to feed all the Palestinians in Gaza, and that the goods are extremely low.”

The statement is by:

• OCHA-UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

• UNICEF – UN Children's Agent

• WFP-World Food Program

• WHO – World Health Organization

• UNFA-United Nations Palestinian Refugee Agency

• UNOPS-United Nations Office of Project Services

All unsupported bakeries are closed due to the lockdown, and most fresh vegetables and hospitals on the market are rationed with painkillers and antibiotics.

Statement says Gaza's “partial functional health system is overwhelmed [and]…The basic medical and trauma supply was quickly exhausted. ”

“With Israel’s blockade on Gaza now in the second month, we call on world leaders to act firmly, urgently and decisively to ensure the maintenance of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.

“Protect civilians. Promote aid. Release hostages. Renew the ceasefire.”

The two months of pause in the fight resulted in a surge in humanitarian aid, which allowed Gaza and Hamas to free 33 people, eight of which died – in exchange for about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Hamas, Gaza's Ministry of Operations and Health said at least 58 people were killed in the territory in the past 24 hours.

According to Hamas-run civil defense agency, an Israeli strike killed 19 people overnight, including five children, who were attacked in the central town of Deir Al-Balah.

Another 11 people were reportedly killed during two separate strikes in the northwest of the northern towns Beit Lahia and Gaza City.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Journalists Group (PJS) said the second Palestinian journalist died from wounds after Israel's strike on Monday.

Ahmed Mansour suffered severe burns when a media tent in the southern city of Khan Younis was shot and today killed his Palestinian colleague Helmi al-Faqaawi.

The Israeli military said the third journalist targeted by the strike, Hassan Eslaih, was accused of being a “Hamas terrorist.” PJS said Eslaih and several other journalists were in critical condition after the attack.

The war was triggered by an unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023, with about 1,200 people killed and another 251 were taken back to Gaza as hostages.

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 50,810 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive since then.