CAIRO, March 4, 2025 (WAFA) – The UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated Tuesday that the Israeli genocidal war in Gaza has left an unprecedented level of destruction.
Speaking at the emergency summit of Arab nations held in Cairo, Guterres said: “The war in Gaza has left an unprecedented level of destruction, with an estimated 51 million tons of rubble blanketing the landscape where bustling neighborhoods once thrived.”
Guterres added the Palestinians in the Strip have suffered beyond imaginable proportions, noting that the Arab Summit constitutes an essential forum for international responsibility to alleviate human suffering and ensure lasting peace.
With humanitarian conditions still dire, Guterres warned that renewed hostilities would plunge millions back into suffering and further destabilize the region.
“We must avoid at all costs the resumption of hostilities,” he urged, calling on both parties to uphold their commitments under the ceasefire and hostage deal, and to resume negotiations without delay.
The Secretary-General highlighted the importance of humanitarian aid for civilians in need in Gaza, calling for the removal of all obstacles to aid delivery.
“Humanitarian aid is not negotiable. It must flow without impediment,” he said, , urging also donors to ensure adequate funding.
Highlighting that reconstruction efforts cannot be separated from the broader political situation, he said: “Ending the immediate crisis is not enough. We need a clear political framework that lays the foundation for Gaza’s recovery, reconstruction and lasting stability.”
He stressed that rebuilding the war-ravaged territory must be guided by principles that respect international law and prevent further cycles of violence.
“The true foundation of recovery in Gaza will be more than concrete and steel,” he said.
“It will be dignity, self-determination and security. This means staying true to the bedrock of international law. It means rejecting any form of ethnic cleansing. And it means forging a political solution.”
He expressed alarm at rising violence in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli occupying forces have launched large-scale incursions, including airstrikes and also the deployment of tanks.
“Over 40,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in the last month — the largest displacement in the West Bank in decades. Meanwhile, demolitions, evictions and settlement expansions continue, with settler violence is on the rise,” he noted.
He called for an urgent de-escalation of the situation, and the stopping of unilateral actions, including settlement expansion and threats of annexation.
“Israel, as the occupying power, must comply with all its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law,” Guterres said.
In addition, the Palestinian Authority must be supported to govern effectively, and “do so in compliance with its own obligations under international law.”
The UN chief reiterated that the two-State solution remains the only viable path to lasting peace.
“The only path to lasting peace is one where two states – Israel and Palestine – live side-by-side in peace and security, in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states,” he said.
A.D./ K.F.
