UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for immediate stopping of the "unacceptable" fighting in Palestine in his address at the General Assembly.
"I am deeply shocked by the continued air and artillery bombardment by the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza," Guterres said of the salvos that have killed more than 200 Palestinians, including 60 children.
He added that "indiscriminate firing of rockets by Hamas and other militant groups" towards population centers in Israel — which have left 12 dead, including two children — was also "unacceptable."
"If there is a hell on earth, it is the lives of children in Gaza."
The General Assembly meeting was requested by Niger and Algeria, respectively the current chairs of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab Group at the United Nations.
"It is imperative that we achieve de-escalation, to prevent an uncontainable crossborder security and humanitarian crisis," Guterres said, calling for the "resumption of negotiations" pursuing "a two-state solution on the basis of the 1967 lines."
On Wednesday, the 10th day of deadly violence between Israel and armed Palestinian groups in Gaza, a spokesperson for the Secretary-General said Guterres had had contact with Palestinians and officials in the Middle East, but not yet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Denouncing airstrike damage to "several hospitals," the UN chief also called the levelling of media offices as well as the killing of a journalist in Gaza "extremely concerning."
"I am deeply distressed by damage to United Nations facilities in Gaza," he said. "United Nations premises are inviolable, including during armed conflict. Humanitarian installations must be respected and protected."
He said an appeal for humanitarian aid donations would launch "as soon as possible," specifying that the UN would release $14 million from the Humanitarian Fund for the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
"There is no justification, including counterterrorism or self-defense, for the abdication by the parties to the conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law," Guterres said.
"I am also deeply concerned by the continuation of violent clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where several Palestinian families are under the threat of eviction."
A years-long bid by Israeli settlers to take over Palestinian homes is among the origins of the escalation in violence between Israel and Hamas that began May 10.
At least one in every 12 women are subjected to violence each year in United Kingdom, police says
Three quarters of Democratic voters say they agreed with statement that the party and voters should get behind Harris...
Matthew Miller expresses concerns over reports of PTI leaders' arrests in Pakistan
Many who died were from rescue team that had been searching for survivors in previous landslide
Kimberly Cheatle took full responsibility over failure on Monday
Copernicus says record daily temperature average set last year appeared to have been broken on Sunday