Guterres: The Situation in Gaza is "Desperate and Tragic"

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on Friday for a modification of the monitoring process for aid shipments entering the Gaza Strip from Egypt via the Rafah crossing "to allow a much larger number of trucks to enter Gaza without delay." Guterres stated in a press release that "the humanitarian system in Gaza is at risk of complete collapse with unimaginable consequences for more than two million civilians." The United States is leading negotiations with Israel, Egypt, and the United Nations to try to establish a resilient aid delivery mechanism in Gaza. The debate revolves around the inspection procedures for aid and bombardment at the Gaza borders. He emphasized, "The verification system for transferring goods through the Rafah crossing must be adjusted to allow a much larger number of trucks to enter Gaza without delay." He noted that prior to the conflict, 500 trucks entered the region daily, but in recent days, only an average of 12 trucks have been entering each day. Guterres welcomed the increasing calls for a humanitarian ceasefire during hostilities and reiterated his call for a humanitarian truce, the unconditional release of all hostages, and the delivery of life-saving supplies at the required scale. Describing the situation in Gaza as "desperate and tragic," he stated that the UN cannot continue to deliver aid within the region "without an immediate and fundamental change in how aid is introduced."