[1andrew1]

Interesting to read the comments in bold from the UN Chief.

UN chief denounces ‘clear violations’ of international law in Gaza

António Guterres says Hamas assault ‘did not happen in a vacuum’ but grievances cannot justify violence

UN chief António Guterres condemned “clear violations of international law” in Gaza as the US added to mounting pressure on the Israeli government to pause its bombardment of the besieged strip and allow in more aid.

In his toughest remarks so far about the conduct of the war in Gaza, Guterres told the UN security council on Tuesday that the safety of civilians was paramount.

“Protecting civilians can never mean using them as human shields,” the secretary-general said, adding that it “does not mean ordering more than 1mn people to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine and no fuel, and then continuing to bomb the south itself.”

Guterres also said that Hamas’ deadly assault on southern Israel earlier this month “did not happen in a vacuum”.

“The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation,” he said, though he added that their grievances could not justify the “appalling attacks”. His remarks triggered a furious response from Israeli officials.

Israel’s ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan described the secretary-general’s statement as “shocking” and called on him to resign while foreign minister Eli Cohen cancelled a meeting with Guterres in protest.

Also addressing the security council, US secretary of state Antony Blinken blamed Hamas for using civilians as human shields but also called for “humanitarian pauses” in Israel’s air strikes against targets in Gaza to allow civilians to get out of harm’s way.

EU leaders are also expected to call later this week for a pause in hostilities to let more water, food and medicine into Gaza and to give more time for negotiations mediated by Qatar to secure the release of hostages.

https://www.ft.com/content/61c23c82-...9-ecdebb86c839