Daily Times

A senior physician in the besieged territory claimed that Israel was employing new “deadly weapons” against the civilians in Gaza, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres blasted Israel for breaking international humanitarian law.

According to Gaza health officials, Israeli strikes have claimed the lives of more than 5,700 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the majority of whom were civilians.

In response to unprecedented Hamas attacks inside Israel on October 7 that left at least 1,400 people dead, the Israeli military bombed entire neighborhoods in the blockaded territory.

Guterres declared there was no justification for the “appalling” violence committed by Hamas on October 7 while also cautioning against “collective punishment” of the Palestinians in the opening remarks of a crucial UNSC meeting.

“I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law,” Guterres said, without explicitly naming Israel.

Guterres also said that the Hamas attacks “did not happen in a vacuum” as the Palestinians have been “subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation”.

As Israel bombards Palestinian territory in retaliation for Hamas attacks, the UN chief called for an immediate ceasefire. The Security Council is sharply divided over the crisis.

Israel expressed its displeasure over the UN chief’s request during a high-level Security Council meeting, where the Palestinian foreign minister also criticised what he called inaction in the conflict that has resulted in thousands of deaths on both sides, mostly civilians.

Eli Cohen, the foreign minister of Israel, was incensed by Guterres’ comments and began to recount graphic accounts of civilians—including young children—who were killed in the deadliest single attack in Israeli history while pointing at Guterres and shouting.

“Mr Secretary-General, in what world do you live?” Cohen said.