Guterres urges global community to repeat ‘utter condemnation’ of 7 October Hamas terror attack
The horrific attack by Gaza-based militants also saw more than 250 abducted, including many women and children. “It is time for the release of the hostages. Time to silence the guns. Time to stop the suffering that has engulfed the…
Despite obstacles, new NATO leader aims to increase support for Ukraine
london — With an escalating war in the Middle East, uncertainty over Western military aid for Ukraine, and the U.S. presidential election looming next month, new NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has no time to settle in. The former Dutch prime…
Ukraine’s Femen protest war at Iran embassy
kyiv, ukraine — Ukrainian feminist activists staged a topless protest Friday outside the Embassy of Iran, which Kyiv and the West say is arming Russia. Ukraine’s Femen group is a feminist art collective that has for years staged stunts in…
UN condemns deadly West Bank airstrike, attacks on Gaza schools
At least 18 people were killed, and many more fatalities could be trapped under the rubble of the three-storied building, according to the UN human rights office (OHCHR). The killings “marked yet another escalation of the violence”, Spokesperson for the…
‘Orphanage city’ helps children in Gaza as the war grinds on
The latest death toll has surpassed more than 41,000 people, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health – the majority of them women and children – while most of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have been forcibly displaced and trapped…
Lebanon: Medical aid arrives in Beirut amid intensifying Israeli strikes
“There were two strikes and a huge crater was created in the no-man’s land between the Syrian and the Lebanese side. It’s very hard for vehicles still to go through this road,” said Rula Amin, Senior Communications Advisor for the…
Lebanon: UN peacekeepers to stay the course amid escalating hostilities
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, expressed deep alarm over the escalation in southern Lebanon and the impact on civilians, reiterating the need for a cessation of hostilities and negotiations to restore calm. “UNIFIL peacekeepers feel duty-bound to the…
Victims of deadly Lebanon escalation describe fleeing ‘total destruction’
In the Lebanese capital, UN humanitarians reported “another night of strikes” and ongoing attacks, as aid workers continued trying to help all those in need. This was “despite their own families being displaced and searching for safety”, said the UN’s…
SECURITY COUNCIL LIVE: End ‘sickening cycle’ of escalation across the Middle East, Guterres urges
UN humanitarians launched a $426 million appeal for Lebanon on Tuesday to support one million people uprooted by widespread Israeli shelling amid what Israel has described as a “limited, localised and targeted” ground operation into Lebanon, across the UN-patrolled line…
UN rights chief adds voice to urgent calls for Middle East de-escalation
The development came as UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned “escalation after escalation” in the Middle East on Tuesday, as a report from his Office underscored the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Since the…