United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned, on Monday, of the consequences on the humanitarian aid operation of the Israeli occupation launching a large-scale ground attack on the city of Rafah, which is crowded with displaced people.

Guterres said in his speech before the Human Rights Council in Geneva, “Any comprehensive Israeli attack on the city would not only be terrifying for more than a million Palestinian civilians who have taken refuge there, but it would also put the final nail in the coffin of the aid programs we provide.”

He added that "Rafah is the core of the humanitarian aid operation," stressing that "the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, is the backbone of this effort."

This comes as warnings of death from starvation are mounting in the northern Gaza Strip, in what has become known as the war of starvation waged by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people, by targeting basic sources of life and obstructing humanitarian aid.

Guterres reiterated the need for a “humanitarian ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”

Regarding the inability of the UN Security Council to take the initiative regarding the aggression against Gaza, Guterres stressed that “the Council’s lack of unity regarding Israeli military operations in Gaza has undermined or perhaps eliminated its authority.”

In his speech, he stressed “the urgent need for a new commitment to all human rights as they apply to peace and security, supported by serious efforts in implementation and accountability,” adding that “we must not become indifferent to the horrific and repeated violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law.” ".

The people of the Gaza Strip are suffering from an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, in light of the continued aggression and violent indiscriminate bombing, amid the internal displacement of more than 1.8 million people to inadequately equipped camps and shelter centers.