UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited the Rafah border crossing on Saturday afternoon, on the Egyptian side of the border between Egypt and Gaza, where he renewed his call for a cease-fire in the war and urged to increase the pace of humanitarian aid entry into the Strip.
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"I have come to the Rafah crossing to spotlight the hardship and pain of Palestinians in Gaza," Guterres said at the Rafah crossing. "Palestinians in Gaza remain stuck in a non-stop nightmare. I carry the voices of the vast majority of the world who have seen enough. I mourn the communities obliterated, homes demolished, and the families and generations wiped out. Now more than ever it is time for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire."
Guterres addressed the issue of humanitarian aid coming to Gaza from Egypt, saying, "Aid trucks stuck at the border is a moral outrage. Israel must allow unrestricted access to humanitarian aid throughout Gaza." According to him, "We will continue to work with Egypt to streamline the flow of aid. The choice for Gaza is clear — either increased aid or hunger."
Guterres landed at El-Arish International Airport in northern Sinai, where most of the international aid sent for Gaza residents is stored. He arrived at Rafah Crossing against the backdrop of Israeli statements about an imminent operation in the southernmost city in the Strip, alongside growing international pressure against it. Later, he returned to El-Arish, saying "An international consensus says an operation in Rafah will cause a humanitarian disaster."
According to him, UNRWA is the "backbone" for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza —despite accusations of its cooperation with Hamas made by Israel. He emphasized that UN employees who participated in the October 7 massacre were dismissed, and the accusations against them are under investigation.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded to Guterres's words, saying that Guterres "stood on the Egyptian side of Rafah Crossing and blamed Israel for the humanitarian situation in Gaza —without condemning in any way the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists, who loot humanitarian aid.”
“He also failed to condemn UNRWA, which collaborates with terrorists and didn’t call for the immediate and unconditional release of all Israeli hostages. Under his leadership, the UN has become an antisemitic and anti-Israeli body that protects and bolsters terrorism."