Antonio Guterres says he fears the war in Gaza will “get exponentially worse” without a respite as the Israeli attack on Rafah approaches.
The head of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, renewed his calls for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, at a time when a Hamas delegation is expected to visit the Egyptian capital, Cairo, soon for renewed indirect talks.
“For the sake of the people of Gaza, the hostages and their families, and the region and the world at large – I strongly encourage the government of Israel and the leadership of Hamas to reach an agreement in their negotiations,” said the secretary- general statement. post to X on Friday.
The UN chief added that he fears “the war will worsen exponentially” without a ceasefire.
For the sake of the people of Gaza, the hostages and their families, and the region and the world at large – I strongly encourage the Israeli government and the Hamas leadership to reach an agreement in their negotiations.
Without this, I fear the war will get exponentially worse.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) May 3, 2024
His comments came as CIA Director William Burns arrived in Cairo for meetings, Reuters news agency reported, citing an Egyptian security source and three sources at Cairo airport.
Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, has led mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas to broker an agreement for a ceasefire and release of prisoners in Gaza.
A day earlier, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said he discussed the latest Israeli proposal for a truce with Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
Hamas confirmed on Thursday that negotiations are scheduled for the next few days with the aim of ending the war in Gaza.
This week, the Palestinian group said it had received Israel’s latest position and would study it before presenting a response.
Both US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron urged Hamas to accept the deal, describing it as a “generous” offer. It includes the suspension of fighting for 40 days and the exchange of dozens of Israeli prisoners for many more Palestinian prisoners.
But Hamas stressed that it would not accept an agreement that did not lead to a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the unhindered return of displaced families to their homes.
Raid imminent on Rafah
Amid the push for a ceasefire, Jens Laerke, spokesman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, expressed concern for civilians in the besieged enclave.
Laerke warned that an imminent Israeli ground offensive on the southern Gaza city of Rafah would put the lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians at risk.
“It could be a massacre of civilians and an incredible blow to the humanitarian operation across the Strip, because it is mainly directed from Rafah,” Laerke said at a press conference in Geneva on Friday.
Rafah has been the main gateway for aid to Gaza, which has been under a harsh Israeli blockade that has brought the territory to the brink of famine.
Relief operations carried out from Rafah include medical clinics and food distribution points such as centers for malnourished children, Laerke said.
More than 1.5 displaced Palestinians are sheltering in Rafah, which suffers daily deadly Israeli attacks.
At least 34,622 Palestinians have been killed and 77,867 injured in the Israeli assault on Gaza since October.
Their offensive expelled more than 80% of the territory’s 2.3 million inhabitants from their homes. Most of the displaced moved to the south of the territory and ended up in Rafah, close to the border with Egypt.
Countries around the world called on Israel against the Rafah invasion, warning of disastrous humanitarian consequences. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to launch a full-scale attack on the city regardless of the outcome of ceasefire negotiations.
This week, he said Israel will destroy the remaining Hamas battalions in Rafah “with or without a deal” so that Israel can achieve “total victory” in the war.
In November, during a week-long truce, dozens of captives were released by Palestinian groups in Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons. But Israeli forces renewed their offensive after the ceasefire expired.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
