UN chief Guterres blasts 'lack of compassion' for Palestinians in Gaza

(AFP/Web Desk) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres slams the international community for turning a blind eye to the suffering of Palestinians starving in the Gaza Strip, calling it a “moral crisis that challenges the global conscience.”

“I cannot explain the level of indifference and inaction we see by too many in the international community — the lack of compassion, the lack of truth, the lack of humanity,” Guterres tells Amnesty International’s global assembly via videolink.

“This is not just a humanitarian crisis. It is a moral crisis that challenges the global conscience. We will continue to speak out at every opportunity,” he adds.

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Guterres says that while he has repeatedly condemned the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on southern Israel, which triggered the war in the Palestinian territory, “nothing can justify the explosion of death and destruction since.”

“The scale and scope are beyond anything we have seen in recent times,” he alleges.

Death toll crosses 59,500

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry said that at least 59,586 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since October 2023.

A ministry statement said that 89 bodies were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours, while 453 people were injured, taking the number of injuries to 14,498 in the Israeli onslaught.

“Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.

The ministry said the death toll surged after 279 dead victims were identified and their names added to the registry.

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The ministry also noted that 23 Palestinians were killed and over 68 injured while trying to get humanitarian aid in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed while seeking aid to 1,083, with over 7,275 others wounded since May 27.

The Israeli army resumed its attacks on the Gaza Strip on March 18 and has since killed 8,447 people and injured 31,457 others, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.