International

Guterres: “It’s time to give the Palestinians hope that there will be a Palestinian state”

The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, assured this Saturday that it is necessary to agree on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, release the hostages in the hands of the Islamist group Hamas and give hope for the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

“It’s time to create hope for the Palestinian people that there will be a Palestinian state,” Guterres said at a press conference from Arish airport in Egypt, after visiting the Rafah border crossing, which connects the Sinai peninsula with the Gaza Strip.

The head of the UN said that “everything possible” must be done to avoid an Israeli offensive in the Palestinian town of Rafah, in the southern end of the Strip and where about 1.5 million displaced people are crowded by the war that began on October 7.

“Everyone is going to assume their responsibilities with History. For me, it is clear: We need to avoid a catastrophic situation in Rafah,” Guterres said, adding that there is “a clear consensus” between the United States, the European Union, the UN and the international community against that ground offensive.

Asked how the effects of an offensive in Rafah could be mitigated, the diplomat replied: “Don’t ask me how I can guarantee that the Israeli Government does anything, because it is clear that the Israeli Government does not normally do what I ask.”

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Guterres described the obstacles to the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip as “moral outrage”. According to the Egyptian authorities, more than 7,000 trucks loaded with assistance are waiting for instructions from Israel to enter the Palestinian enclave.

“A long line of rescue trucks blocked on one side of the door, and the long shadow of hunger on the other side. This is more than tragic. It’s a moral outrage,” Guterres said at a press conference from the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, which connects the Egyptian Sinai peninsula with the Gaza Strip.

The head of the UN, who today made his second visit to the border with Gaza since the beginning of the war on October 7, also warned against an Israeli operation in the Palestinian town of Rafah, in the extreme south of the Strip and where about 1.5 million displaced Gazans are crowded.

“All this shows that it’s time for an immediate ceasefire. I say it again. It’s time for a strong commitment by Israel to full and unrestricted access to humanitarian goods throughout Gaza,” Guterres urged.

He also appealed to the “spirit of compassion” of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan fasting for “the immediate release of all hostages” in the hands of the Islamist group Hamas.

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“It is monstrous that after so much suffering for so many months the Palestinians in Gaza celebrate Ramadan while Israeli bombs continue to fall, bullets continue to fly, artillery continues to strike and humanitarian assistance continues to face obstacles behind obstacles,” the Portuguese lamented.

Upon his arrival in Egypt, Guterres met with the governor of the province of Northern Sinai, Mohamed Shosha, who told him that Israel “is hindering the entry of trucks” into Gaza due to severe restrictions and lengthy procedures, something that has caused about 7,000 trucks to have not yet been able to enter the enclave, according to a statement from the provincial administration.

The head of the UN reiterated that “nothing justifies the horrible attacks in Hamas of October 7,” in the same way that “nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” in reference to the retaliation of Israel – which has resulted in about 32,000 lives – for the attacks of the Islamist group that left about 1,200 dead.

“Now more than ever it’s time to achieve an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. It’s time to silence the weapons. Palestinian children, women and men in Gaza are still trapped in an incessant nightmare, communities destroyed, houses demolished, entire families and generations annihilated by hunger and starvation that stay the population,” Guterres recalled.

In this sense, he urged all UN member countries to support humanitarian work, after several countries suspended funding for the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) after Israel’s accusations against a dozen of its members of participating in the Hamas attacks.

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“I want the Palestinians in Gaza to know that they are not alone. People from all over the world are outraged by the horrors that we all witness in real time (…) We have already seen enough. We have already had enough and we still believe that human dignity and decency must define us as a global community,” Guterres said.

International

Zelenski urges global action after russian ballistic missile strike

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski called on the international community Thursday to “respond” to Russia’s ballistic missile strike on Ukraine, which he said has heightened the “escalation and brutality” of the conflict.

“The world must react. So far, there has been no strong response,” Zelenski lamented in a social media statement.

“We must act. We must pressure. We must push Russia towards real peace, which is only achievable through strength,” he added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed Thursday that Russia had launched a new type of hypersonic ballistic missile against Ukraine in its “non-nuclear configuration.”

International

Elon Musk plans sweeping cuts to U.S. bureaucracy and spending

Elon Musk has pledged massive cuts to government programs, subsidies, and bureaucracy in his anticipated role as a “State Efficiency” leader, according to an article published Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal.

The billionaire entrepreneur plans to target hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending, including funds for public broadcasting and Planned Parenthood. Musk called government bureaucracy an “existential threat” to American democracy.

Teaming up with fellow businessman and Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk aims to streamline federal regulations and implement significant administrative and cost reductions.

“We are entrepreneurs, not politicians. We will serve as external volunteers, not federal officials or employees,” Musk and Ramaswamy stated in the article.

International

Putin warns of escalation, suggests strikes on western weapon suppliers

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that the conflict in Ukraine is taking on the characteristics of a “global war,” warning that Russia might target Western nations supplying Ukraine with weapons used in attacks on Russian territory.

These remarks come after a day of heightened tensions, during which Russia launched a state-of-the-art medium-range missile designed to carry a nuclear warhead. However, this particular missile was loaded with conventional explosives.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the missile strike, calling it the action of a “deranged neighbor” using Ukraine as a “military testing ground.”

Earlier, Ukraine accused Russia of attacking the central-eastern city of Dnipro with a missile exhibiting “all the characteristics” of an intercontinental missile, an unprecedented development in the ongoing conflict.