The UN chief says it is important to recognise the attacks by Hamas “did not happen in a vacuum”.
“The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation,” he told UN Security Council members.
“They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements, plagued by violence, their economy stifled, their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing.”
Guterres, however, said grievances by the Palestinians cannot justify the “appalling attacks” by Hamas, which in turn could not justify the “collective punishment of the Palestinian people”.
“At a crucial moment like this, it is vital to be clear on principles, starting with the fundamental principle of respecting and protecting civilians.”
Source: AlJazeera
