ISTANBUL

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday warned of “massive” death and destruction in Israeli attacks in Gaza City and called for a ceasefire.

“It is vital to reach immediately a ceasefire in Gaza, and the unconditional release of all hostages and to avoid the massive death and destruction that a military operation against Gaza City would inevitably cause,” Guterres told reporters on the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama city in Japan, according to a statement from the UN.

“The decision by the Israeli authorities to expand illegal settlement construction, which would divide the West Bank, must be reversed. All settlement construction is a violation of international law,” Guterres added.

On Aug. 8, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved a plan to occupy Gaza City in the northern part of the enclave.

Prior to the Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said in an interview that Israel aims to fully occupy the Gaza Strip.

Katz also approved the plan to occupy Gaza City on Tuesday.

According to the plan, around 1 million Palestinians will first be displaced to the south, while the city will be besieged and then occupied following heavy attacks.

On Aug. 18, Hamas announced that it had accepted a ceasefire and prisoner swap proposal presented by Egypt and Qatar, but Israel has yet to respond to the offer.

Israel has killed nearly 62,200 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.