Secretary-General Urges Israel, Hamas to Reach Agreement, Stop Suffering.

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

The Secretary-General reiterates his pressing call to both the Government of Israel and the leadership of Hamas to go the extra mile needed to make an agreement come true and stop the present suffering.

The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the indications that a large-scale military operation in Rafah may be imminent. We are already seeing movements of people — many of these are in desperate humanitarian condition and have been repeatedly displaced.  They search for safety that has been so many times denied.

The Secretary-General reminds the parties that the protection of civilians is paramount in international humanitarian law.