UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said ‘nothing can justify’ the crisis in Gaza and has called for pressure to increase on international leaders to help bring forward a two-state solution, during an address to the Amnesty International Global Assembly in New York City on Friday. Addressing the Amnesty International Global Assembly, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for immediate action in Gaza. While reiterating his condemnation of the 7 October terror attacks by Hamas, Guterres said that “nothing can justify the explosion of death and destruction since,” criticizing global indifference and inaction.
Guterres described a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, citing starving aid workers and traumatized children. He said, “Our own heroic staff continue to serve in unimaginable conditions. Many are so numb and depleted that they say they feel neither dead nor alive. Children speak of wanting to go to heaven, because at least, they say, there is food there. We hold video calls with our own humanitarians who are starving before our eyes.”
“This is not just a humanitarian crisis. It is a moral crisis that challenges the global conscience,” the UN chief stressed.
Guterres once again called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostage, and urgent steps toward a two-State solution.
He said, “The United Nations stands ready to make the most of a possible ceasefire to dramatically scale up humanitarian operations across the Gaza Strip, as we successfully did during the previous pause in fighting. Our plans are ready, and they are finalized. We know what works – and we know what does not.”
The Secretary-General also commended Amnesty International’s “indispensable” role in a global battle for human dignity. For human rights. For justice. For the multilateral system itself.
He said, “We need your movements – rooted in communities and rising from the ground up – making it clear that leaders cannot turn a blind eye to their obligations. And, yes, we need what you’ve called ‘troublemaking’. The kind that challenges complacency and inaction. That exposes injustice. That drives lasting change.”
The UN chief spoke about this year’s focus of the Global Assembly: confronting the rise of authoritarian practices – and advancing climate justice.
Guterres noted that the world is witnessing a surge in repressive tactics aiming at corroding respect for human rights. And these are contaminating some democracies.
“We must right these wrongs,” the UN chief stressed.
He said, “Many countries we must recognize stand firm with human rights. And we must push all countries to defend them – consistently, and universally, even – or especially – when inconvenient.”
