UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday alleged violations of international law in the Gaza Strip and urged an immediate ceasefire as Israel bombed the Palestinian territory in response to Hamas attacks, with the crisis deeply dividing the Security Council. Opening the session, Mr Guterres said there was no excuse for the "appalling" violence by Hamas on October 7 but also warned against "collective punishment" of the Palestinians. "I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law," Mr Guterres said, without explicitly naming Israel. Mr Guterres said that the Palestinians had been "subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation," telling the Security Council: "It is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum.
