HAMILTON, Canada
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday sounded the alarm over "atrocious levels of death and destruction" by Israel in Gaza, emphasizing that recent aid delivery "now amounts to a teaspoon of aid."
"Palestinians in Gaza are enduring what may be the cruelest phase of this cruel conflict," Guterres said during a news conference at the UN headquarters in New York.
Criticizing Israel's prolonged blockade of humanitarian assistance, Guterres said: "For nearly 80 days, Israel blocked the entry of life-saving international aid. Finally, a trickle of aid has crossed over."
He said that although "almost 400 trucks were cleared for entry to Gaza through the Kareem Shalom crossing," only a fraction of that assistance has reached those in need.
"Supplies from only 115 trucks have been able to be collected," he said.
"In any case, all the aid authorized until now amounts to a teaspoon of aid when a flood of assistance is required," he added.
Describing the obstacles on the ground, Guterres said: "The needs are massive and the obstacles are staggering. Strict quotas are being imposed on the goods we distribute – along with unnecessary delay procedures."
He further pointed to Israel restricting vital supplies, "including fuel, shelter, cooking gas, and water purification supplies."
Guterres also reiterated the UN's request for operational safety, and said: "We continue to request for safety and security mitigation measures to be in place for our convoys."
"Meanwhile, the Israeli military offensive is intensifying with atrocious levels of death and destruction," he said.
Warning of the scale of displacement, Guterres said: "Today, 80% of Gaza has been either designated an Israeli-militarized zone or an area where people have been ordered to leave. In other words, four-fifths of the territory of Gaza is a no-go zone for the people of Gaza."
He reaffirmed UN's position against any alternative aid delivery mechanism for Gaza, and stressed that the “United Nations has been clear: We will not take part in any scheme that fails to respect international law and the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality."