António Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations, is scheduled to visit the Egyptian-Gaza border this Saturday. His purpose is to reiterate an urgent call for a ceasefire that could alleviate the suffering within the war-torn region, which has been under conflict between Israel and Hamas for over five months. The timing is significant, as Israel is contemplating embarking on a substantial military assault in Rafah, located in southern Gaza and bordering Egypt, despite global calls discouraging such an action.
The majority of the 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza have sought refuge around Rafah. Although the circumstances in the northern strip pose greater hardships, the overall predicament for civilians throughout the area has significantly worsened as the conflict drags on.
Guterres is set to tour Al Arish, situated in Egypt’s northern Sinai, which is a significant hub for the accumulation and distribution of international aid to Gaza. He is also expected to visit the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, one of the primary gateways for aid entry. A hospital in Al Arish and UN humanitarian agents in Rafah are also on his itinerary.
As the hope of a peace agreement during Ramadan dwindles and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza intensifies, the United States and other nations are looking at using aircraft and marine vessels to expedite more aid support. However, aid organisations state that merely about 20% of the much-needed supplies are reaching Gaza. The only viable resolution, they argue, is to substantially increase relief delivery by road.
Israel, despite pledging to annihilate Hamas and expressing concerns of potential aid diversion by the radical Palestinian group, has shut down all its terrestrial entry points into the enclave except one. A worldwide food monitoring organisation warned this week of an impending famine in northern Gaza that might extend throughout the territory unless a ceasefire is put in place shortly.
Over 32,000 individuals, including women and children, have reportedly lost their lives due to Israel’s military operations in Gaza, as per local health authorities. Israel initiated this assault as a response to a Hamas offensive that led to the deaths of approximately 1,200 individuals and the abduction of over 250, based on Israeli counts.
Mr Guterres, who has previously visited the Gaza-bordering nation of Egypt once during the conflict, is presently in Egypt and Jordan as an element of an annual show of unity with Islamic countries for the Ramadan period. Whilst residing in Cairo, Egypt’s capital, his schedule includes breaking the Ramadan fast alongside refugees hailing from Sudan. In Sudan, war-driven conflicts between competing militant groups have resulted in the displacement of almost 8.5 million individuals, widespread severe malnutrition, and a surge of ethnically-targeted murders in the region of Darfur. – Reuters