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United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres late Sunday urged restraint as Israel gets ready for a ground invasion of Gaza, amid increasing concerns the Israel-Hamas conflict will turn into a regional war.
“We are on the verge of the abyss in the Middle East,” Guterres warned. He called on Hamas, the Palestinian militant group and political party, to “immediately” release the people it is holding hostage in the Gaza Strip, and asked Israel to allow for “rapid and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid” in Gaza.
At least one million people have fled their homes in Gaza over the past week ahead of an expected Israeli invasion in retaliation for Hamas’ surprise attack on October 7, which killed more than 1,300 Israelis and during which the militants kidnapped 150 people who are currently being held hostage in the Gaza Strip.
In response, Israel has declared a siege of Gaza, restricting access to energy, food and water, and launched thousands of air strikes, killing at least 2,750 people, according to the Palestinian health authorities.
Israel, which has been readying a massive force near Gaza, on Friday ordered all civilians to evacuate Gaza City and relocate to the southern part of the enclave, in a move widely seen as preparation for a ground incursion.
The U.N. has called on Israel to reverse course, with a spokesperson saying an evacuation “could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation.”
In the north, Israel on Monday announced it was evacuating its civilians from an area “up to 2 kilometers from the Lebanese border,” in a joint statement from the Israel Defense Forces and the defense ministry.
The news comes amid intensifying border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group and political party, sparking concerns that the conflict could become a wider war.
Peter Wilke contributed reporting.
