UN Chief Hails As glimpse Of Hope Extension In Humanitarian Truce In Gaza
UNITED NATIONS, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 28th Nov, 2023) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Monday welcomed the extension of a humanitarian pause in Israeli bombardment of Gaza for two more days, saying: “It’s glimpse of hope, humanity in middle of darkness of war,” as he pleaded for opening more crossings to deliver critically needed aid to the suffering Palestinians.
Guterres also said that he was “very hopeful’ that another crossing could be opened to allow aid deliveries to Gaza.
“It’s a glimpse of hope and humanity in the middle of the darkness of war and I strongly hope that these will enable us to increase even more the humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza that is suffering so much,” the UN chief told reporters in New York about the extension in the truce announced by Qatar, the mediator in the crisis.
Without more time, he added, “it will be impossible to satisfy all the dramatic needs of the population in Gaza.”
Earlier, Qatar, which has emerged as a key player on the international stage, said on Monday a truce between Israeli and Hamas forces in Gaza had been extended by two days, continuing a pause in seven weeks of conflict that in which nearly 15,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and relentless Israeli attacks decimated the enclave.
“An agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian truce for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip,” a Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson said in a post on social media platform X.
There was no immediate comment from Israel, but a White House official confirmed agreement had been reached.
Hamas also said it had agreed a two-day extension to the truce with Qatar and Egypt, who have been facilitating indirect negotiations between the two sides.
“An agreement has been reached with the brothers in Qatar and Egypt to extend the temporary humanitarian truce by two more days, with the same conditions as in the previous truce,” Reuters news agency quoted a Hamas official as saying in a phone call.
The initial four-day truce was due to end on Monday night.
APP/ift
