The United Nations secretary-general on Tuesday called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages in Gaza and urged an end to hostilities across the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, Israel and the region.
Speaking on the second anniversary of Israel's genocidal war, triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, incursion into Israel, Antonio Guterres decried a "humanitarian catastrophe on a scale that defies comprehension."
"I have said it time and again, and I am repeating it today with even greater urgency: Release the hostages, unconditionally and immediately," he said in a statement.
"End the suffering for all ... Put an end to the hostilities in Gaza, Israel and the region now. Stop making civilians pay with their lives and their futures.
"After two years of trauma, we must choose hope. Now."
