UN chief welcomes extension of pause in Israeli war

WASHINGTON (AA) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday welcomed the news of an extension of the pause in Israeli war against Palestinians in Gaza for two more days.

“I would say it’s a glimpse of hope and humanity in the middle of the darkness of war,” Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.

“And I strongly hope that this will enable us to increase even more, the humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza that is suffering so much … knowing that even with that additional amount of time it will be impossible to satisfy all the dramatic needs of the population in Gaza,” he added.

His remarks came right after Qatar announced the extension for two more days of the temporary humanitarian pause in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.

Guterres also said that he is “very hopeful” that another crossing can be opened to allow humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.

He also said the Palestinian Authority is needed to rule in both Gaza and the West Bank responsibly and to create the conditions to make sure a two-state solution moves forward.

This should move “forward in a way that is irreversible,” he said. “And so obviously this will naturally lead to a strengthened Palestinian Authority, and I believe the international community should be ready to support it.”

Israel launched a massive military campaign in the Gaza Strip following an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas.

It has since killed at least 14,854 Palestinians, including 6,150 children and more than 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave. The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.