Rafah - Gaza: Europe and the Arabs
In conjunction with the visit of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to Egypt and Jordan and his presence in the border areas with the Palestinian territories, the Israeli occupation forces continued their military operations against civilians. According to media reports this morning, medical teams recovered, at dawn on Sunday, the bodies of six martyrs from under the rubble of a house that had been bombed. The Israeli occupation, east of the Palestinian city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian News Agency reported that the bodies of the six martyrs from the Farwana family were recovered from under the rubble of their house that was bombed, east of the Palestinian Rafah.
The occupation warplanes also launch a series of violent raids in the center, south and west of Khan Yunis Governorate, which is currently witnessing an incursion by Israeli military vehicles into an area close to the Nasser Medical Complex.
Every year, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, since he was High Commissioner for Refugees, makes a Ramadan solidarity visit. This year, he chose to go to the Rafah crossing in Egypt, leading to the Gaza Strip, to highlight the hardships and pain of the Palestinians in Gaza and the obstacles that hinder alleviating their suffering.
In a press conference in front of the Rafah crossing, Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that the time has come for an immediate ceasefire for humanitarian reasons and to silence the weapons. He reiterated that there is no justification for the horrific attacks committed by Hamas on October 7, or the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
He said that Palestinians in Gaza, children, women and men, are still stuck in an endless nightmare: “Communities are being obliterated, homes are being demolished, families and entire generations are being erased as hunger and starvation stalk the population.”
Guterres added, from Rafah, Egypt, meters away from the Gaza Strip, that the month of Ramadan is a time to spread the values of compassion, interdependence and peace. He said, "It is a terrible thing that the Palestinians in Gaza, after suffering for many months, welcomed the month of Ramadan while Israeli bombs are still falling on them, bullets are still flying, artillery is still bombing, and humanitarian aid is still facing one obstacle after another."
The Secretary-General, who is fasting today as a sign of solidarity, expressed his concern that many in Gaza will not be able to eat a proper meal at breakfast time. He said that he sees at the Rafah crossing the heartbreak and cruelty of this situation, as there is a long line of relief trucks - which are prohibited from entering - on one side of the crossing gate, while the shadow of famine looms on the other side.
He described the situation as tragic and morally outrageous. He warned that the expansion of the attack would lead to a deterioration of the situation for Palestinian civilians, hostages, and all residents of the region. António Guterres said that all this confirms that the time has come for an immediate ceasefire and for Israel's firm commitment to ensuring full and unrestricted access for humanitarian supplies to all parts of Gaza. In the spirit of Ramadan mercy, he said it was time for the immediate release of the hostages.
Secretary-General António Guterres urged all members of the United Nations to support the life-saving international efforts led by UNRWA, which is the backbone of all relief operations in Gaza. He expressed his aspiration to continue working with Egypt to coordinate the flow of aid, expressing his deep appreciation for Egypt's full involvement in support of the people of Gaza.
Addressing the Palestinians in Gaza, the Secretary-General of the United Nations said: You are not alone. He added that people around the world are outraged by the atrocities we all see every day as they happen.
The UN Secretary-General stressed that the time has come for the massive flow of life-saving aid into Gaza. He said the choice was clear: either significantly increase aid or starvation. He called for the choice to be on the side of help, hope and the right side of history.
He concluded his press statements by saying: “I will not give up, and we must not all give up in doing everything possible so that our common humanity prevails in Gaza and around the world.”
At Al-Arish General Hospital, about 45 kilometers from Rafah, the Secretary-General met with a number of Palestinian patients coming from Gaza, most of them women and children who were injured during the ongoing conflict. Among those he met was a ten-year-old boy who lost his left hand and leg. The child told the Secretary-General that his brother was killed and his other brother was injured.
The Secretary-General said after visiting the hospital that he was deeply moved to hear the stories of sick and wounded Palestinians, their experiences, the suffering they went through, and the generosity and solidarity of Egypt and the Egyptian people.
During his stay in Egypt, the Secretary-General met with a number of Egyptian officials. In the Egyptian capital, Cairo, he will have breakfast with a number of Sudanese refugees who fled their country because of the war that led to the death and injury of thousands and the displacement of millions. António Guterres stressed his call for a cessation of hostilities in Sudan during the holy month of Ramadan.
After that, the Secretary-General will continue his Ramadan solidarity visit in the Jordanian capital, Amman, where he will visit the facilities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and he will also have breakfast with a number of Palestine refugees and United Nations employees in the Jordanian capital. While in Amman, the Secretary-General is scheduled to hold meetings with Jordanian officials.