United Nations: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described the ongoing situation in Gaza as “horrific”, stating that the level of destruction and death there is unparalleled in recent times.
“What we are witnessing in Gaza is a level of death and destruction that has no parallel in recent times,” Guterres told reporters, emphasizing the grave humanitarian toll caused by continuous Israeli strikes.
According to reports, numerous civilians, including children, were killed over the weekend during attacks that targeted people seeking humanitarian aid. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed intensified airstrikes and shelling across Gaza, resulting in mass casualties.
In a deeply troubling incident, seven children were reportedly killed while waiting for water at a distribution site in the Nuseirat refugee camp. Just days earlier, women and children were also killed while waiting for nutritional aid. UNICEF condemned these acts as “outrageous” and called for the protection and dignity of all civilians, especially children.
Guterres reiterated his call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, stating, “It is essential that the ceasefire leads to a real solution – one in which both Palestinians and Israelis can live in sovereign states and exercise their rights.”
He denounced the condition of Palestinians living “in their own land without any rights,” calling it a gross violation of humanity and international law.
OCHA further warned that Gaza’s healthcare system is on the brink of collapse. Despite a critical shortage of fuel, hospitals continue to treat casualties from the ongoing hostilities. A noted surgeon and endoscopy specialist was among those killed recently, the Gaza Health Ministry confirmed.
UN agencies cautioned that the ongoing fuel crisis threatens to halt all humanitarian operations, cutting off access to essential services, clean water, and healthcare. The small amounts of fuel allowed in last week were insufficient even for a single day’s operations.
UNICEF also highlighted the rising risk of famine, noting that over 5,800 children were diagnosed with malnutrition in Gaza last month, with more than 1,000 suffering from severe acute malnutrition – a number that continues to grow for the fourth consecutive month.
Despite the enormous needs, only a trickle of aid has been permitted into Gaza, far below the requirements of the 2.1 million residents. The UN urged Israel to allow the immediate and large-scale entry of humanitarian supplies through all available routes.
Adding to the crisis, Israeli authorities have issued new evacuation orders. On Friday, around 70,000 people in Gaza City’s Rimal area were told to evacuate, affecting numerous displacement sites. Currently, over 86% of Gaza is either under evacuation orders or in Israeli-militarized zones.
The West Bank has also seen increasing violence. On Friday, two young Palestinian men were killed near Ramallah during a settler attack. In the first half of 2025 alone, more than 700 settler attacks were recorded, impacting over 200 communities and causing both casualties and property damage, particularly in Ramallah, Nablus, and Hebron regions.
The UN continues to stress the urgent need for international action to prevent further loss of life and to uphold basic human dignity.
