UN chief calls Gaza deaths ‘totally unacceptable’ ahead of assembly

A lack of accountability for the deaths of United Nations staff and aid workers in Gaza is “totally unacceptable,” stated U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during an interview on Wednesday. He also remarked that a U.N. peacekeeping force wouldn’t be the “best solution” for Haiti, where armed gangs dominate much of the capital and nearby regions, causing mass displacements, sexual violence, and widespread hunger.

Ahead of the U.N. General Assembly’s annual meeting, Guterres reflected on a challenging year marked by the Gaza conflict. The war began two weeks after last year’s assembly when Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took around 250 hostages in Israel. Israeli retaliation in Gaza has led to approximately 41,000 Palestinian deaths, as reported by local health officials. Guterres highlighted severe violations of international humanitarian law and the lack of civilian protection in Gaza, condemning the situation as “totally unacceptable.” The Israeli military maintains it minimises civilian harm and claims that a third of the Palestinian fatalities are militants, accusing Hamas of using civilians as human shields, a claim Hamas denies.

Nearly 300 humanitarian aid workers, mostly U.N. staff, have died in the conflict. Guterres called for thorough investigations and accountability for these deaths, criticising the lack of respect for court decisions and the resulting “limbo of accountability.” The International Court of Justice deemed Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal in July, and the U.N. General Assembly may soon vote on a resolution demanding Israel’s withdrawal within six months.

#BREAKING UN chief condemns deadly Israeli airstrike on “humanitarian safe zone” in southern Gaza, says ‘use of heavy weapons in densely populated areas is unconscionable’ pic.twitter.com/dgdlD4aD7g

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) September 10, 2024

Guterres mentioned that he hasn’t spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since the Hamas attack on October 7 last year because Netanyahu hasn’t returned his calls. Guterres is open to meeting Netanyahu if he requests it. Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon stated Netanyahu’s schedule for the General Assembly is not finalised.

Guterres described the global situation as “chaotic,” mentioning the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine as unresolved with no peaceful solutions in sight. He expressed concern over Western accusations of North Korea and Iran supplying weapons to Russia, calling any war expansion in Ukraine a “dramatic development.”

In Haiti, the deployment of a U.N.-backed international force has been slow and underfunded since Haiti’s 2022 request for assistance. The U.S. is pushing for a U.N. plan to transition this force into a peacekeeping operation. Guterres criticised the difficulty in mobilising funds for Haiti, deeming it a “scandal.”

During Guterres’ first term as secretary-general, Donald Trump’s presidency saw cuts to U.N. funding and U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Trump, now the Republican nominee, may repeat these actions if elected. Guterres affirmed the U.N.’s commitment to its values regardless of the U.S. administration. He noted that while the Paris Agreement would endure, it could be significantly weakened by another U.S. withdrawal.

With abortion rights a significant issue in the U.S. election, Guterres emphasised the importance of the U.S. stance on women’s sexual and reproductive rights at the U.N. Trump had previously opposed international language supporting these rights and cut funding to the U.N. Population Fund over claims of involvement in coercive abortion and sterilisation, which the U.N. refuted.