Israel-Palestine war: UN chief Antonio Guterres urges Hamas to release hostages without conditions

By Team Newsable  |  First Published Oct 16, 2023, 8:35 AM IST

Guterres emphasized that these objectives should not be used as bargaining chips and must be implemented as a matter of principle. He highlighted the dire conditions in Gaza, including shortages of water, electricity, and essential supplies.


United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday (October 16) issued two humanitarian appeals in response to the ongoing situation in the Middle East. In a social media post, Guterres urged Hamas to "immediately" release hostages without any conditions. He also called on Israel to grant rapid and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid to benefit civilians in Gaza.

Guterres emphasized that these objectives should not be used as bargaining chips and must be implemented as a matter of principle. He highlighted the dire conditions in Gaza, including shortages of water, electricity, and essential supplies.

As we are on the verge of the abyss in the Middle East, I have two humanitarian appeals:

To Hamas, the hostages must be immediately released without conditions.

To Israel, rapid & unimpeded access for humanitarian aid must be granted for the sake of the civilians in Gaza.

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres)

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