UN chief slams US-backed Gaza aid operation: 'It is killing people', World News
UNITED NATIONS - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday (June 27) that a US-backed aid operation in Gaza is "inherently unsafe," giving a blunt assessment: "It is killing people."
Israel and the United States want the UN to work through the controversial new Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, but the UN has refused, questioning its neutrality and accusing the distribution model of militarizing aid and forcing displacement.
"Any operation that channels desperate civilians into militarized zones is inherently unsafe. It is killing people, Guterres told reporters.
Guterres said UN-led humanitarian efforts are being "strangled," aid workers themselves are starving and Israel - as the occupying power - is required to agree to and facilitate aid deliveries into and throughout the Palestinian enclave.
"People are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families. The search for food must never be a death sentence," Guterres told reporters.
"It is time to find the political courage for a ceasefire in Gaza."
Since Israel lifted an 11-week aid blockade on Gaza on May 19, allowing limited UN deliveries to resume, the United Nations says more than 400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid from both the UN and GHF operations. A senior UN official said on Sunday that the majority of those people were trying to reach GHF sites.
Responding to Guterres on Friday, Israel's Foreign Ministry said Israel's military never targets civilians and accused the UN of "doing everything it can" to oppose the GHF aid operation.
"In doing so, the UN is aligning itself with Hamas, which is also trying to sabotage the GHF's humanitarian operations," it posted on X.
[[nid:719583]]
A GHF spokesperson said there have been no deaths at or near any of the GHF aid distribution sites.
"It is unfortunate the UN continue to push false information regarding our operations," the GHF spokesperson said. "Bottom line, our aid is getting securely delivered. Instead of bickering and throwing insults from the sidelines, we would welcome the UN and other humanitarian groups to join us and feed the people in Gaza."
GHF uses private US security and logistics firms to operate. It began operations in Gaza on May 26 and said on Friday so far it has given out more than 48 million meals. The US State Department said on Thursday it had approved $30 million (S$38 million) in funding for the GHF and called on other countries to also support the group.
Israel and the United States have accused Hamas of stealing aid from the UN-led operations, which the militants deny.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Why Congo and Rwanda agreed to end three decades of war
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (centre) with Democratic Republic of the Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner (right) and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe on June 27. PHOTO: AFP Why Congo and Rwanda agreed to end three decades of war The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda have agreed to bring an end to conflict in eastern Congo, where millions of people have died and multitudes have been displaced over the past three decades. A US-brokered accord signed in Washington on June 27 commits the two central African nations to stop fighting, halt their use of armed proxies and work together to develop the natural resources that lie along their shared border. There is well-founded skepticism over whether the truce will last. Distrust between the two long-standing foes runs deep and it's unclear whether their forces and a multitude of militias will heed instructions to lay down their weapons. Why have relations between Congo and Rwanda been so fraught? More than 100 groups are engaged in ethnic disputes or fights over land, minerals and political representation in eastern Congo. Rwanda's main gripe is the presence of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, or FDLR. Its members have links to the Hutus who perpetrated the 1994 genocide in Rwanda that left at least 800,000 people dead – most of them Tutsis, the country's other main ethnic group. A rebel group known as the M23 says it's been fighting the FDLR to protect Congolese Tutsis who face discrimination. Rwanda's military has backed the M23, while Congo's army has worked alongside the FDLR. The conflict reached new heights in 2025 when M23 forces annexed the region's two main cities. While the US and United Nations say Rwanda supported the operation, President Paul Kagame said he was unsure if his forces were involved. Mr Felix Tshisekedi, Congo's leader, has argued that Rwanda's main aim is to exploit Congo's bountiful natural resources and any other issues it raises are merely a pretext to gain access. What are the key provisions of the peace deal? The accord provides for a cessation of hostilities, a halt to support for armed groups, the neutralization of the FDLR and increased regional economic integration. It will also lay the groundwork for refugees and displaced people to return to their homes in eastern Congo. The signatories agreed to support separate peace talks between Congo and the M23, while the US, Qatar and the African Union will help resolve any disputes. An economic component of the agreement is expected to be hammered out as soon as July. On the cards is the establishment of shared processing and trading ventures that will enable both Congo – where most of the minerals are situated – and Rwanda to jointly benefit. Possible developments could include a $760 million hydropower plant, gas-powered electricity projects and tourism enterprises in national parks. What role will the US play? The US government is offering to invest directly in the region and encourage American companies to follow suit, an undertaking it hopes will help convince the Rwandan and Congolese governments to stick to the peace deal. Both the African nations signed off on a provision requiring them to explore partnerships with US President Donald Trump's administration and US firms – which could potentially become involved in energy generation and the mining of tantalum and other minerals. Congo has also offered the US the chance to invest more broadly in its economy, including in infrastructure development and in lucrative copper and cobalt mines in the country's southeast. The Trump administration has made securing critical mineral supply chains a pillar of its foreign policy, and Congo has some of the world's best resources. What are the key challenges? Congo's talks with the M23 are ongoing. Both Rwanda and the rebel group will need to agree to stand down for any peace deal to meaningfully move forward, and there's no guarantee they will be prepared to do that. It will also be a challenge to get Congo's army to fight and disarm the FDLR on Rwanda's behalf. The M23 rebellion is just one of dozens of conflicts in eastern Congo, all of which ultimately need to be addressed to restore region-wide stability. The governments will also need to figure out what to do with tens of thousands of members of demobilised armed groups who will need to sustain themselves. Finding a way to stop the smuggling of minerals – gold in particular – is likely to prove troublesome. Bullion is trading at all-time highs and thousands of rebels and soldiers make their living through a regional trade in the metal that's worth billions of dollars. Perhaps the biggest struggle of all will be over land, with disputes over ownership likely to persist for decades. Some 6 million Congolese have been displaced by the violence in the east of their country, while tens of thousands of Congolese Tutsi refugees have resided in Rwanda for decades, and will likely want to reclaim their property upon returning home. What's been happening with Congo's resources? Eastern Congo is rich in tin, tungsten, gold and tantalum – a mineral used in portable electronics. There have been multiple attempts to formalise the trade over the years and stop armed groups from benefitting from it. The initiatives, including certification schemes, bagging and tagging programs, and international sanctions, have proved largely ineffective. The M23 control trade from the world's richest tantalum ore mine. Multiple armed groups control huge gold deposits and the trade has been almost impossible to track because, unlike tin or tantalum, bullion is easy to melt down into small quantities that are easy to transport. Both Rwanda and Uganda have gold refineries – some of which have been sanctioned by the US or European Union for buying from conflict zones – and they are major contributors to export earnings. While the peace deal calls on Congo and Rwanda to clean up their mineral supply chains and jointly develop processing infrastructure, it doesn't address how the illegal gold trade should be tackled. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Thai protesters call for Prime Minister Paetongtarn's resignation
FILE PHOTO: Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra looks during a press conference after a meeting on measures to solve transnational crimes,at the Government House, following a leak on Wednesday of a phone call between her and Cambodia's former Prime Minister Hun Sen, amid a border dispute between the two countries, in Bangkok, Thailand, June 23, 2025. Government House of Thailand Handout via REUTERS/File Photo BANGKOK - Hundreds of protesters gathered in the Thai capital Bangkok on Saturday demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, as her government faces rising anger over a border row with Cambodia. The rally, the largest anti-government protest since her Pheu Thai party came to power in 2023, increases pressure on Paetongtarn, 38, who is battling to revive a faltering economy and keep a fragile government coalition together ahead of a potential no confidence vote next month. Protesters waved flags beside Victory Monument, a war memorial at a busy intersection, in a demonstration organised by the United Force of the Land, a coalition of largely nationalist activists who have rallied against other Shinawatra-backed governments over the last two decades. While the past protests did not directly cause the downfall of those governments, they built up pressure that led to judicial interventions and military coups in 2006 and 2014. The political turmoil in Thailand threatens to further damage the country's struggling economic recovery. Paetongtarn said on Saturday that she was not concerned about the protest and had instructed authorities to ensure the gathering was peaceful. "It's within people's rights and I will not retaliate," she said. The prime minister, who now controls a slim majority coalition following the exit of former partner Bhumjaithai Party last week, could face a no confidence vote when parliament reconvenes next week. Bhumjaithai Party last week withdrew its support for the government citing the risk of a loss of Thai sovereignty and integrity after a leaked phone conversation between Paetongtarn and Cambodia's former premier Hun Sen. During the call, Paetongtarn appeared to seek to appease the veteran Cambodian politician and criticised a Thai army commander, a red line in a country where the military has significant clout. She has apologised for her comments. The prime minister also faces judicial scrutiny after a group of senators petitioned the Constitutional Court and a national anti-graft body with a wide remit to investigate her conduct over the leaked phone call. Decisions from either bodies could lead to her removal. Hun Sen, a former ally of the Shinawatras, made an unprecedented public attack on Paetongtarn and her family in an hours-long televised speech on Friday, calling for a change in government in Thailand. The Thai foreign ministry described the speech as "extraordinary" while insisting that Thailand prefers to use diplomacy to resolve the escalating bilateral dispute. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
AsiaOne
4 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Trump says he will 'get the conflict solved with North Korea', World News
US President Donald Trump on Friday (June 27) said he will "get the conflict solved with North Korea." At an Oval Office event where he highlighted his efforts to resolve global conflicts, Trump was asked whether he had written a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as was reported this month. Trump did not directly answer the question, but said: "I've had a good relationship with Kim Jong Un and get along with him, really great. So we'll see what happens. "Somebody's saying there's a potential conflict, I think we'll work it out," Trump said. "If there is, it wouldn't involve us." Seoul-based NK News, a website that monitors North Korea, reported this month that North Korea's delegation at the United Nations in New York had repeatedly refused to accept a letter from Trump to Kim. Trump and Kim held three summits during Trump's 2017-2021 first term and exchanged a number of letters that Trump called "beautiful," before the unprecedented diplomatic effort broke down over US demands that Kim give up his nuclear weapons. In his second term Trump has acknowledged that North Korea is a "nuclear power." The White House said on June 11 that Trump would welcome communications again with Kim, while not confirming that any letter was sent. North Korea has shown no interest in returning to talks since the breakdown of Trump's diplomacy in 2019. [[nid:666918]] It has, instead, significantly expanded its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, and developed close ties with Russia through direct support for Moscow's war in Ukraine, to which Pyongyang has provided both troops and weaponry.
