UN Chief Calls for ‘Immediate Humanitarian Ceasefire’ in Gaza

UN Chief Antonio Guterres affirmed the need for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza as the war between Israel and Hamas passed 100 days.

"We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. To ensure sufficient aid gets to where it is needed. To facilitate the release of the hostages. To tamp down the flames of wider war because the longer the conflict in Gaza continues, the greater the risk of escalation and miscalculation," Guterres said.

"Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," he noted.

Guterres’s remarks came just hours after three UN agencies urged Israel to allow access to the port of Ashdod, north of Gaza, to boost the flow of humanitarian aid into the Palestinian territory.

According to Gaza Health officials' numbers, more than 24,000 deaths in the war with Israel, which has sent shockwaves across the region as the fighting passed the grim 100-day milestone.