UNITED NATIONS – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the escalating civilian casualties resulting from Israel’s intensified military campaign in northern Gaza. Strikes on Monday hit shelters for displaced civilians near al Aqsa hospital, killing at least four people and leaving others, including women and children, with severe burns, according to a UN report. Earlier, a separate strike on a Nuseirat school-turned-shelter killed over 20 people and wounded many more.
“The Secretary-General strongly urges all parties to comply with international humanitarian law and stresses that civilians must be respected and protected,” said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric at a New York briefing.
The past two weeks have seen over 50,000 people displaced from the Jabalia area, which remains largely inaccessible due to heavy bombardment. The conflict has also shuttered water wells, medical facilities, bakeries, and shelters, worsening the humanitarian crisis.
Joyce Msuya, the acting UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, highlighted the dire conditions, stating, “There seems to be no end to the horrors Palestinians in Gaza are forced to endure.” She noted that strikes on civilian shelters underscore the reality that “there really is no safe place in Gaza.”
The escalating violence has severely impacted food security, with major crossings into northern Gaza closed since October 1. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) reported dwindling supplies of wheat flour, high-energy biscuits, and other essentials. Antoine Renard, WFP Country Director for Palestine, warned that “without safe and sustained access, it is virtually impossible to reach those in need.”
Conditions in southern and central Gaza are also deteriorating rapidly, with food distributions halted and bakeries struggling to stay operational. As winter approaches, the UN emphasized the urgent need for more crossing points and secure aid delivery to prevent further humanitarian disaster.