UN chief Antonio Guterres says he will not give up appeals for ceasefire in Gaza

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasised his commitment to advocating for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza during his speech at the Doha Forum conference on Sunday. Guterres expressed disappointment in the Security Council’s failure to act and stressed the ongoing necessity of a ceasefire despite the setback. Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told the gathering that Doha will continue to pressure Israel and Hamas for a truce despite “narrowing” chances. Qatar, where several political leaders of Hamas are based, has been leading negotiations between the group and Israel. Sheikh Mohammed said hostages were released from Gaza because of negotiations and not because of Israel’s military actions. The head of UNRWA, the UN aid agency for Palestinians, said the dehumanisation of Palestinians has allowed the international community to tolerate Israel’s continued attacks on Gaza. “There is no doubt that a humanitarian ceasefire is needed if we want to put an end to hell on earth right now in Gaza,” UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said. The United States and Israel oppose a ceasefire because they believe it would only benefit Hamas. Washington instead supports pauses in fighting to protect civilians and allow the release of hostages taken by Hamas in a deadly October 7 attack on Israel. With inputs from Reuters