Cairo: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed profound shock over reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip, calling for an immediate and independent investigation into the incident and accountability for those responsible. In a statement on Monday, Guterres added that it is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food. He stressed that the Israeli occupying authorities have clear obligations under international humanitarian law to approve and facilitate humanitarian aid delivery.

According to Qatar News Agency, Guterres further emphasized the urgent need to restore the large-scale, unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip to meet the immense needs of the population, underscoring the necessity of allowing the United Nations to operate in safety and security with full respect for humanitarian principles. He reiterated his call for an immediate, durable, and sustained ceasefire in Gaza, along with the unconditional release of all hostages, affirming that this is the only way to ensure security for all and that there is no military solution to this conflict.

Earlier on Monday, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini warned that the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza has turned into what he described as ‘a death trap’, amid the ongoing Israeli bombardment. In recent weeks, the Gaza Strip has witnessed a dangerous escalation by Israeli occupation forces, marked by deliberate and systematic targeting of Palestinian civilians as they attempt to access humanitarian aid. These attacks have left dozens of martyrs and wounded, triggering a growing wave of international condemnation and concern.

These violations unfold amid an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, where Palestinians in the embattled enclave are forced to traverse long distances under dire security and health conditions to reach the few remaining aid distribution points. The UN and humanitarian organizations have held the Israeli occupation fully responsible for deliberately obstructing aid access, deeming such actions unconscionable violation of international law and a direct threat to civilian lives.