Guterres Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza and Condemns Israeli Escalation

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, called for an "immediate ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip, warning of the consequences of any Israeli military operation targeting the city, following the announcement of practical steps by the Israeli army to take control of it.

Guterres's statements came from Japan, where he is attending a conference on African development, and he stated literally: "It is essential to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza," justifying this by saying, "to avoid the death and destruction resulting from any military operation targeting the city of Gaza."

His call also included a criticism of settlement expansion, as he urged Israel to "retract its decision to expand the 'illegal' settlement in the West Bank."

This urgent appeal comes in response to a tangible Israeli military escalation. Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, approved an offensive plan on Wednesday and took practical measures in preparation for its implementation. According to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, which was quoted literally by the "AFP" news agency, the minister "approved the Israeli army's attack plan on the city of Gaza" and agreed "to issue orders to call up the necessary reserve soldiers to carry out the mission," who are estimated to number around 60,000 soldiers.

Katz also approved "humanitarian preparations for the evacuation of residents from the city of Gaza."

For his part, the spokesperson for the Israeli army, in a press briefing on Wednesday, defined the nature of the next phase, saying: "We will move to a new phase of fighting, a precise and focused gradual operation inside and around the city of Gaza, which is currently the main military and administrative stronghold of Hamas."

Later that evening, the Israeli military spokesperson, Ivi Devrin, confirmed that Israeli forces had already begun "preparatory operations to take control of the city of Gaza," indicating that "our forces are at the outskirts of the city."

It is noteworthy that the Israeli army has been conducting extensive military operations in Gaza neighborhoods for more than a week, including the Zeitoun neighborhood and the areas of Sabra and Tal al-Hawa, where residents report continuous heavy bombardment.

This military escalation is taking place amid waiting for the official Israeli response to a truce proposal aimed at ending the ongoing war in the sector for 22 months, after the Israeli security cabinet approved earlier in August a plan to take control of the city of Gaza and expand its operations there.