UN Leader Appeals for Ceasefire as Gaza Crisis Deepens

UN Secretary General António Guterres has renewed his urgent call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as Israel intensifies preparations for a major offensive against Gaza City. The appeal comes amid widespread destruction, soaring civilian casualties, and growing international alarm over the humanitarian disaster unfolding in the enclave.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict erupted in October 2023. Entire neighborhoods of Gaza City now lie in ruins following weeks of airstrikes and artillery fire. UN agencies report that hospitals are collapsing under pressure, food and clean water are in severe shortage, and malnutrition among children has sharply increased.

“The world cannot remain silent as Gaza City is razed to the ground,” Guterres said while addressing a conference in Japan. “We need an immediate ceasefire, full humanitarian access, and the unconditional release of all hostages.”

Israel has launched Operation Gideon’s Chariots II, a large-scale campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas’s remaining military structures in Gaza City. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have called up more than 60,000 reservists, with plans to mobilize additional troops in the coming days. Officials in Tel Aviv argue that Hamas’s presence in Gaza City poses an existential threat to Israel and must be “eradicated completely.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Israel will not accept a truce that leaves Hamas intact. “We are determined to achieve total victory,” he said, stressing that military pressure will continue until all hostages are freed and Hamas loses its operational control.

International mediators, including Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, have been pushing for a 60-day ceasefire agreement. Hamas has indicated willingness to accept the deal, which includes prisoner exchanges and increased humanitarian aid, but Israel has so far withheld formal approval.

Global leaders are voicing growing concern. French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the Gaza offensive risks plunging the region into “permanent war,” while Belgium and several other European countries urged Israel to halt its military escalation.

In addition to Gaza, the UN chief criticized Israel’s approval of new settlement expansions in the occupied West Bank, calling them “a direct threat to peace and the two-state solution.” He stressed that both Gaza and the West Bank crises are interconnected and risk igniting a broader regional conflict.

As Gaza braces for a full-scale ground assault, the humanitarian toll is expected to rise dramatically unless a ceasefire is implemented. With displaced families sheltering in overcrowded UN facilities and aid groups warning of famine, the pressure on Israel and Hamas to accept mediation is intensifying.

For now, however, the gap between Israel’s insistence on total military victory and the UN’s plea for an immediate truce underscores the fragile and uncertain road ahead.