On Sunday (16 May), United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council that the current hostilities in Gaza and Israel are “utterly appalling,” and that “fighting must end.” “It has to end right now.”
The UN Secretary-General opened a virtual dialogue on the current situation in the Middle East, urging all parties to listen. He stated that the UN was “actively engaging” all parties in a truce immediately.
“The longer this cycle of violence persists, the more difficult it will be to achieve that ultimate goal,” the Secretary-General said. Only a long-term, permanent diplomatic settlement reached by Palestinians and Israelis would put an end to these destructive cycles of conflict and contribute to a stable future for both.”