The Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, on Tuesday rejected a new Israeli proposal aimed at controlling the deliveries of assistance to Gaza, saying that he risks “controlling more and limiting strong needles to the last calorie and grain of flour”.
“Let me be clear: we will not participate in any arrangement that does not fully respect the humanitarian principles: humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality,” said Guterres, whom Jerusalem accused of anti-Israeli prejudices.
Israel interrupted the delivery of the aid on March 2, a few hours after the end of the ceasefire in Gaza and releasing the first 42-day phase of the hostage accusation. Israel had refused to negotiate the second phase of the agreement, which would have forced the FDIs to withdraw from the band. On March 18, Israel resumed hostilities in Gaza with a series of massive air strikes.
Israel accused Hamas of the hoarding of supplies and promised to continue to block the aid to Gaza until the terrorist group releases the remaining 59 hostages. However, an Israeli official confirmed on Monday at the time of Israel that the FDI planned to renew the flow of aid, following the concern declared that the fact of not doing so would risk violations of international law and future legal problems for commanders who participate in the military operation.
COGAT, the FDI agency that coordinates the aid, met last week with the United Nations agencies and international aid groups and declared that it had proposed “a monitoring and structured aid mechanism” for Gaza.
“The mechanism is designed to support aid organizations, improve surveillance and responsibility and guarantee that the aid reaches the civilian population in need, rather than being diverted and stolen by Hamas,” said Cogat on X on Sunday.
The trucks carrying humanitarian aid behave on the Egyptian side of the border crossing of Rafah between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, on March 2, 2025. (APTO / Mohamed Arafat)
In remarks to journalists on Tuesday, Guterres called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, a permanent cease-fire and full humanitarian access to Gaza.
“Gaza is a killing field – and civilians are in an endless death loop,” said Guterres. “With points of crossing in Gaza Shut and Aid Blockaded, security is in ruins and our ability to deliver has been strangled,” he said.
Taking the Geneva conventions governing the treatment of people at war, Guterres said that Israel, as a “occupying power”, must ensure the supply of food and medical products to the population.
This means that Israel should facilitate rescue programs and ensure food, medical care, hygiene and public health standards in Gaza, he said, adding that “none of this happens today”.
Israel says that it does not exercise effective control over Gaza and, therefore, is not a power of occupation. However, the Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, said last week that the renewed offensive of Israel in Gaza sought to resume an “extensive territory”.
The Palestinians receive bags of flour and other humanitarian aid distributed by UNRWA, the United Nations Agency for Palestinian refugees, in Jabalia, Gaza Strip, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo / Jehad Alshrafi)
Guterres, Tuesday, also raised the alarm of the situation in the West Bank, where operations to combat Israeli large -scale terrorism have moved tens of thousands of Palestinians.
“The current path is an impasse-totally intolerable in the eyes of international law and history,” he said. “And the risk that occupied West Bank is transformed into another Gaza still aggravates it.”
Throughout the war in Gaza, Israel clashed with Guterres, declaring him Non Grata and accusing him of justifying the assault of Hamas who sparked the war.
Guterres postponed, saying at a June press conference that he had publicly condemned the Hamas assault more than 100 times. The United Nations also met hostage families held in Gaza, especially at the start of the last United Nations General Assembly in September.
Masked Palestinian armed guard trucks responsible for humanitarian aid in Jabalia in northern Gaza Strip, January 20, 2025. (Ali Hassan / Flash90)
The assault on October 7, 2023 saw thousands of terrorists led by Hamas to storm southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages. Israel interrupted the stream of aid in the band after the assault and gradually renewed the aid flow in the midst of international pressure.
Throughout the war, Israel accused Hamas of infiltration of aid groups, including the Palestinian refugee agency of UNRWA, and to integrate into civil infrastructure, including hospitals and aid distribution centers.
Before the war, Israel had supervised the daily entrance to hundreds of humanitarian aid trucks in the blocked band, which Israel retired in 2005.
Jacob Magid contributed to this report.
