Secretary-General Welcomes Israel’s Reopening of Kerem Shalom Crossing into Gaza

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary‑General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General welcomes the Israeli decision to reopen the Kerem Shalom crossing to its full operating capacity this morning and to expand the fishing zone off the coast of Gaza.

He is encouraged to see that those concerned have responded to calls to avoid the devastating impact of yet another conflict on the civilian population in and around Gaza.

The Secretary-General calls on all parties to support the efforts of United Nations Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov and Egypt to avoid an escalation and address all humanitarian issues in Gaza and the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza.