On Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of the consequences of any Israeli action on the city of Rafah in the Palestinian Gaza Strip.

This came in a speech delivered by Guterres at the United Nations General Assembly, during which he reviewed his priorities in 2024.

Guterres commented on reports that Israel is preparing for a military operation against Rafah, saying: “This will amplify the existing humanitarian nightmare, and will have untold regional consequences.”

He stressed the need to "reach an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and release all prisoners unconditionally."

Guterres stated that the current situation in Gaza constitutes "a bleeding wound in our collective conscience that threatens the entire region."

He continued, "Nothing justifies the attacks launched by Hamas against Israel on October 7, and there is no justification for collective punishment of the Palestinian people."

He noted that Israeli military operations had caused destruction and death in Gaza “on an unparalleled scale and speed” since he became Secretary-General of the United Nations.

He stressed the need for the ceasefire and the release of prisoners to lead to irreversible measures towards a two-state solution (Palestinian and Israeli) on the basis of United Nations resolutions and international law.

Guterres explained that peace in the world is threatened by the increase in geopolitical conflicts and divisions.

He pointed out that people need peace, security and a decent life.

He added, "But there is a lot of anger and noise in our world."

Guterres pointed out that the UN Security Council has reached a dead end due to geopolitical rifts.

In this context, he called for the need to "undertake fundamental reforms in the UN Security Council."