“It is essential to immediately reach a ceasefire in Gaza”, ” The secretary general told journalists on the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (Ticad9)“” And the unconditional release of all hostages and to avoid the massive death and destruction that a military operation against Gaza City would inevitably cause.“”
About a million people still live in the city – the largest in Gaza – in the north of the enclave torn by the war. The Israeli army would have described it as a bastion of Hamas, the terrorist group whose murderous attacks in Israel and the hostage taking the war on October 7, 2023.
The UN chief also condemned the Israeli government’s decision to approve a project of expansion of colonization for a long time in the occupied West Bank.
“” The decision of the Israeli authorities to extend the construction of illegal regulations, which would divide the West Bank, must be reversed. Any construction of settlement is a violation of international law“, He insisted.
The rules would have permission of more than 3,000 houses, schools and a clinic, cutting East Jerusalem from the occupied West Bank, which Israel captured during the 1967 war of 1967 after defeating Egypt, Jordan and Syria.
Urban destruction
Meanwhile, in Gaza City, entire urban areas are “completely destroyed”, the UN understands, with new destruction in progress in the South and the Southeast, while military maneuvers continue.
Recent attacks have been particularly devastating in the city Az Zaytoun district, the United Nations Human Rights Office (Ohchr)) reported Wednesday.
Highlighting more than 50 attacks against residential buildings and whole blocks in Gaza City since August 8, Ohchr warned that its “Systematic destruction” had started.
Acute malnutrition
Meanwhile, the United Nations aid teams highlighted the catastrophic impact of accelerating the Israeli military operation, with Shapeless malnutrition in children from Gaza City at 28.5%Or more than one in four young people.
“Children continue to die from artificial famine”, ” UNRWA said in a statement, noting that it has projected more than 95,000 children aged six months to five years for malnutrition through the Gaza Strip since March 2025, after the ceasefire collapse.
While the ceasefire has always stood in early March And the emergency supplies have been allowed to enter Gaza in much larger quantities than today,, Malnutrition rates were six times lower than Gaza CityAt 4.5%, according to the United Nations Agency for Palestinians, UNRWA.
Through Gaza, acute malnutrition increased to almost 16% in mid-August, more than three times higher than the level of 5.2% recorded by the United Nations Agency in March, he said.
Vital services in danger
Today, the services provided by UNRWA in Gaza City are “at serious risks”, warned the agency, pointing tens of thousands of people who still live in its shelters and “many others” who remain in the surrounding regions.
There is a particular concern for the compound of the UNRWA field office – its largest logistics center in northern Gaza – because the operations of the United Nations Agency in the South have been “paralyzed” by travel and bombing orders.
To indicate the key role of UNRWA in the assistance and rescue provisions in Gaza, he noted that last month, he provided more than 100,000 medical consultations and projected 3,500 children for malnutrition to Gaza City.
UNRWA has also delivered drinking water to 220,000 people, domestic water at 250,000 and has eliminated hundreds of tonnes of waste.
Specialists in education and protection against the United Nations agency have reached thousands of others in temporary learning spaces or by offering advice, recreational activities and risk awareness training on the dangers of unplodified deadly weapons.
“While our colleagues, like the rest of the UN, are determined to stay and deliver, all these services are now in danger while military operations are intensifying,” said UNRWA.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
