New York - Gaza: Europe and the Arabs
The UN Secretary-General expressed his dismay at the attack, which was reported to have occurred on a convoy of ambulances outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. He said that the pictures of bodies scattered in the street outside the hospital were horrific.
In a press statement issued late Friday evening, New York time, Secretary-General António Guterres said: “I do not forget the terrorist attacks committed by Hamas in Israel and the acts of killing, maiming and kidnapping, including of women and children. All hostages held in Gaza must be released immediately.” "And without conditions."
He added that civilians in Gaza, including children and women, "have been besieged for nearly a month, deprived of aid, killed, and bombed." He stressed the need to stop this.
Guterres said in his statement that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is horrific. He pointed out that there is not enough food, water and medicine to meet people's needs. He stated that the fuel needed to operate hospitals and water stations is running out.
He said that the number of displaced people in UNRWA shelters exceeds the capacity of those shelters by nearly four times, while they are being bombed. He added: "The morgues are overflowing, the shops are empty, and the state of sanitation is miserable. We are witnessing an increase in the spread of diseases and respiratory infections, especially among children. The entire population is in shock. There is no safe place."
Humanitarian ceasefire
  Guterres renewed his previous calls for a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds. He stressed the need to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including humanitarian and medical personnel and their assets, and not use civilians as human shields.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations stressed the need to allow the entry of basic supplies and services and the unhindered access of humanitarian aid into and around Gaza in a safe manner and on a scale commensurate with this tragic situation.
Guterres said that all influential people must exercise their influence to ensure respect for the rules of war, end suffering, and avoid the spread of conflict that could spread to the entire region.
Following reports of attacks on ambulances evacuating patients in front of the entrance to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, the Regional Director of the World Health Organization for the Eastern Mediterranean said that the organization condemns attacks on health institutions and their workers.
Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari added - in an exclusive interview with UN News - that such actions are “a blatant attack on humanitarian values and principles.”
He stressed that everyone who carries out these actions “must be held accountable,” and that there is “no excuse” for doing so.
The UN official spoke about the negative impact of the current situation on the work of international organizations in supporting the health sector due to the difficulty of movement on the ground in light of the lack of security, the damage to infrastructure and hospitals, as well as the inability to deliver medical supplies, including life-saving medicines.
He pointed out that the organization's teams organize trips to northern Gaza to deliver aid, but on a "very small scale" due to the lack of security in those areas.