Heads of UN agencies make rare joint plea for Gaza ceasefire

“We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. It’s been 30 days. Enough is enough,” the UN heads said in a rare joint statement on Sunday.

“This must stop now,” they stressed.

The UN chiefs, including the leaders of UNICEF, UN Women, the World Food Program and the World Health Organization, described the killings of both Israelis and Palestinians over the past month as “horrific”.

At least 9,800 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, according to authorities in the Hamas-governed enclave.

More than 1,400 people, mainly civilians, were killed in Hamas’s October 7 attacks on southern Israel, according to Israeli authorities.

“For almost a month, the world has been watching the unfolding situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory in shock and horror at the spiralling numbers of lives lost and torn apart,” the UN leaders added.

The UN heads called on all parties to respect their “obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law”, including to protect civilian infrastructure such as hospitals and schools and allow aid into Gaza.

It is “unacceptable” that the population of Gaza is being denied essential goods and services as well as being “bombed in their homes, shelters, hospitals and places of worship”, the statement read.

The UN leaders also condemned the killing of dozens of aid workers.

“More than 100 attacks against health care have been reported,” they said, adding, “Scores of aid workers have been killed since October 7 including 88 UNRWA colleagues – the highest number of United Nations fatalities ever recorded in a single conflict.”