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World is witnessing darkest page in Israeli-Palestinian conflict history — UN head

The UN chief Antonio Guterres once again called for an immediate ceasefire

UNITED NATIONS, September 23. /TASS/. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the UN Security Council that the world is witnessing "one of the darkest chapters" in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"Countless Palestinian civilians and the remaining hostages are trapped under relentless bombardment and deprived of food, water, electricity, and medicine. Famine is a reality," he said, describing the situation as "untenable and morally and legally indefensible."

The UN chief once again called for an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages and unimpeded humanitarian access.

Guterres went on to say that violence spills over from Gaza to the West Bank and even beyond its borders, including the recent Israeli attack on Qatar, which dealt "a serious blow" to the diplomatic effort.

He also expressed concern about broadening Israeli settlement activities, which is "destroying the territorial contiguity of a Palestinian State." At the same time, the Palestinian Authority is facing an existential crisis, Guterres continued.

At the same time, in the secretary-general’s opinion, there is "a glimmer of hope" amid the darkness," namely the resumption of the High-Level International Conference on a Two-State Solution."