- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has been speaking about the situation in Gaza, saying: “I’m deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing”
At the United Nations Security Council in New York, a debate is getting under way on the war between Israel and Hamas.
It comes ahead of an expected vote on “humanitarian pauses” to allow aid to get into Gaza.
Our US correspondent Mark Stone, reporting at the meeting in New York, says Israeli and Palestinian representatives are expected to speak.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is currently speaking at the session, saying he has “condemned” the “horrifying and unprecedented” attack by Hamas and “nothing can justify” the killing of civilians.
Guterres speaking last week
“Even war has rules. We must demand all parties are pulled and respect their obligations under international humanitarian law,” he adds.
He says more than 600,000 Palestinians are sheltering in UN facilities and at least 35 UN staff have been killed in attacks on Gaza.
“The relentless bombardment of Gaza by Israeli forces, the level of civilian casualties, and the destruction of neighbourhoods continue to mount and are deeply alarming,” he says.
“I’m deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza.”