Gaza “Graveyard For Children”: UN Head Requests $1.2 Billion To Aid Palestinians In Gaza, a War-Torn Territory

(CTN News) – Secretary-General Antonio Guterres makes a heartfelt appeal for the safety and well-being of civilians in Gaza during the ongoing conflict between Israeli occupation forces and Hamas.

As the violence continues to take a heavy toll on innocent lives, the Gaza Strip is unfortunately becoming what he describes as a graveyard for children.

Guterres expressed deep concern about the ongoing ground operations conducted by the Israel Defense Forces and their relentless bombardment of hospitals, refugee camps, mosques, churches, as well as UN facilities, including shelters.

According to him, “no one is safe,” and he condemned the clear violations of international humanitarian law being committed. A humanitarian ceasefire was urged by Guterres in an attempt to alleviate the suffering of the people.

An aid request for $1.2 billion is made by the United Nations

Funds in the amount of $1.2 billion are urgently needed to provide assistance to the people of Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Gaza has 2.2 million people affected by the conflict, while the West Bank has 500,000 people affected by the conflict. Combined with operational constraints, the scale of this response presents an unprecedented challenge, as highlighted by the United Nations humanitarian agency, OCHA.

Funds will be allocated for critical needs, such as healthcare, food, water, shelter, education, and others.

It has been clarified by the UN that this funding estimate does not include recovery and reconstruction costs, which will be determined as soon as the security situation permits the necessary assessments to be conducted.

A rising death toll has been reported

As a result of the ongoing conflict, the death toll has increased. Currently, more than 10,022 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, and another 152 have been killed in the occupied West Bank since October 7.

In contrast, Hamas’ attacks on Israel have resulted in the death of over 1,400 people.

The response of the Israeli FM

Eli Cohen, the Foreign Minister of Israel, has vehemently criticized the UN Secretary-General Guterres for his repeated appeals for humanitarian assistance in Gaza. As a result of Guterres’ remarks linking the October 7 Hamas attacks to a broader context, Cohen had previously called for Guterres’ resignation.

As a response to Guterres’s latest statement, Cohen proclaimed, “Guterres, shame on you!” He reiterated that the issue in Gaza lies with Hamas, not with Israel’s response.

Gaza strikes result in the death of UNRWA workers

It is with great sadness that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reports that five of its employees have been killed in recent strikes across the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours.

The agency, which provides aid and assistance to Palestinian refugees, is now dealing with the tragic loss of its personnel as a result of the ongoing conflict.

Despite the international community’s efforts, the situation in Gaza remains extremely precarious as it struggles to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians caught up in the crossfire.

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