Israel-Hamas war: As the war between Israel and Hamas continues unabated, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has stated that Gaza is becoming a “graveyard for children.” Speaking to reporters in New York, he said that the nightmare in Gaza is more than a humanitarian crisis. Guterres further stated that the need for a ceasefire is becoming “more urgent” with every passing hour as it is a crisis of humanity.  

“The parties to the conflict–and, indeed, the international community–face an immediate and fundamental responsibility: to stop this inhuman collective suffering and dramatically expand humanitarian aid to Gaza,” the UN chief stated, as per CNN. According to Guterres, at least 89 members of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) have been killed since the Israel-Hamas war began last month.  

“More @UN aid workers have been killed in recent weeks than in any comparable period in the history of our organization. I join in the mourning of 89 of our @UNRWA colleagues who have been killed in Gaza – many of them with members of their family,” he wrote on ‘X’. 

The UN Secretary-General’s comments come four weeks after Israel declared war on Hamas, following the terrorist organisation’s October 7 attack that killed 1,400 people in Israel and saw about 240 others kidnapped. Israel retaliated by launching an air and ground offensive on Gaza, vowing to eliminate the militant group. 

‘Pregnant women and new mothers in dire conditions’

The UN also claimed that thousands of pregnant women and new mothers are in dire conditions in Gaza amid the ongoing war. According to the intergovernmental organisation, as many as 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza are unable to access routine maternal health care, 180 women are giving birth there every day, and 5,500 babies have been born since the outbreak of the war on October 7. 

Dr Natalia Kanem, head of the U.N. agency that promotes reproductive and sexual health, gave those figures at a UN press conference Tuesday where she issued an urgent appeal for fuel for hospitals and incubators, clean water and food for pregnant and lactating women, and for a humanitarian cease-fire. “We have seen losses of life of newborns in hospitals who need incubators and oxygen which require fuel, adding that being in a hospital is essential for Caesarean section deliveries,” she added. 

Israel-Hamas war

More than 1400 Israelis were killed in a deadly attack carried out by Hamas on Israel’s southern communities on October 7. They also took at least 240 people as hostages during that surprise infiltration. Meanwhile, more than 9,000 people have died in Gaza since Israel launched a counter-offensive. Israel first carried out widespread air strikes and then slowly launched ground incursions that have been intensifying over the last few days.

(With inputs from agency)

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