U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said the way Israel is conducting its offensive against Hamas is “creating massive obstacles to the distribution of humanitarian aid inside Gaza,” in a post on X Friday night.
The Portuguese diplomat issued his statement shortly after the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution calling for increased aid deliveries to Gaza.
He added that 136 U.N. aid workers in Gaza have been killed in 75 days of combat — something he described as unprecedented in the body’s history.
“An effective aid operation in Gaza requires security; staff who can work in safety; logistical capacity; and the resumption of commercial activity,” wrote in his Friday night statement.
The U.N. resolution urged to “create the conditions for sustainable cessation of hostilities,” but stopped short of calling for a ceasefire in the conflict.
After days of fraught negotiations, the U.N. Security Council passed the text with 13 votes in favor and no votes against. The United States and Russia abstained.
European Council President Charles Michel welcomed the resolution. “This is what EU has been calling for, in line with international humanitarian law,” he wrote on X.
On Friday the European Commission announced it will disburse an extra €118 million of aid to the Palestinian Authority that governs the West Bank.
