UN Secretary-General calls for humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, release of hostages

In a statement issued on Friday, UN Secretary-General expressed 'grave concern' over the ongoing conflict in Gaza and cautioned that a further spillover may lead to devastating consequences. Reiterating his demand for humanitarian ceasefire and release of all hostages, the UN chief termed the escalating violence as extremely alarming.

Hyderabad:Expressing "grave concern" over the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hamas, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday reiterated his call for an immediate "humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza and "unconditional release" of all hostages.

In a statement issued on the Middle East by Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, the latter apprehended that further spillover of the conflict may lead to devastating consequences. "As the hostilities between Israel and Hamas and other groups in Gaza intensify, the Secretary-General remains gravely concerned about the further spillover of this conflict, which could have devastating consequences for the entire region," the statement read.

Stressing on the rising risk of regional conflagration, the UN chief warned that the longer the conflict in Gaza continues, more will be the chance of escalation and miscalculation by multiple actors.

The statement also termed the escalating violence in the occupied West Bank, including intensified Israeli security forces operations, high numbers of fatalities, settler violence and attacks on Israelis by Palestinians, as "extremely alarming".

Guterres further mentioned about regional stability being impacted by the increasing escalations. "The daily exchanges of fire across the Blue Line risk triggering a broader escalation between Israel and Lebanon and affecting regional stability," the statement said.

The UN chief has expressed concern over the the spillover effects of continuing attacks by armed groups in Iraq and Syria and the attacks by the Houthi group in Yemen against vessels in the Red Sea, which have escalated in recent days.

Guterres has urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint and take urgent steps to de-escalate tensions in the region. Also, he has appealed to all members of the international community "to do everything in their power to use their influence on the relevant parties to prevent an escalation of the situation in the region."

“The Secretary-General reiterates his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” the statement concluded.

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