United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Saturday for an end to the “shocking violence” and “bloodshed” in Gaza and Lebanon, two days before the first anniversary of the attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Israeli soil.
Monday, October 7, will mark the first anniversary of the unprecedented Hamas attack, which shocked Israel and sparked war in the Gaza Strip. This has since spread to neighboring Lebanon, against its ally, Hezbollah.
“This day is an opportunity for the international community to once again loudly condemn the abominable acts of Hamas, including the taking of hostages,” Antonio Guterres said in a statement released on Saturday.
In the same statement, Mr. Guterres demanded their “immediate and unconditional release”, while asking Hamas to “allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit these hostages”.
“Since October 7, a wave of shocking violence and bloodshed has been unleashed,” Mr. Guterres said. “It is time to release the hostages (…) It is time to silence the guns. It is time to stop the suffering that has overwhelmed the region.”
The secretary general also expressed concern about the extension of the conflict in Lebanon against Hezbollah, supported by Iran.
“The war that followed the terrible attacks a year ago is still destroying lives and inflicting profound human suffering on the Palestinians in Gaza, and today, on the Lebanese people,” he continued.
