United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reiterated his call for a ceasefire in Gaza and pointed out that international law is being violated in the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas.

Israel has been conducting sustained bombardments on the Gaza Strip since October 7, following a surprise attack by Hamas on southern Israel, which Israeli authorities claim resulted in at least 1,400 casualties.

In response to the attack, Israel has imposed a blockade on essential supplies such as water, food, fuel, and electricity to the 2.3 million residents of Gaza, a move that the UN has labeled as a form of collective punishment. Israel also launched a military offensive in Gaza, with authorities in Gaza reporting at least 5,791 casualties. Gaza is under the governance of Hamas.

Over one million people have been displaced, with Israel instructing residents of northern Gaza to relocate to the south. Despite this relocation, Israeli air raids have continued to target the entire region.

Addressing the 15-member UN Security Council, Guterres urged the protection of civilians and warned that the ongoing conflict had the potential to escalate into a broader regional crisis, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Guterres emphasized that while recognizing the grievances of the Palestinian people due to 56 years of occupation, these grievances cannot justify the heinous attacks by Hamas. Simultaneously, the appalling attacks by Hamas cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian population.

Guterres indirectly criticized Israel, stating that safeguarding civilians does not involve ordering over a million people to evacuate to the south, where there is a lack of shelter, food, water, medicine, and fuel, and then continuing to carry out airstrikes in the south.

The Secretary-General's remarks provoked strong reactions from Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan, who described the speech as "shocking." Erdan specifically took issue with Guterres' statement that "the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum," viewing it as an expression of understanding for terrorism and violence.