The United Nations’ secretary general has called for an immediate ceasefire to end ‘epic suffering’ in the Gaza strip after Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed more than 700 people in a single day and hospitals began to shut down due to a lack of fuel. António Guterres said Israel’s bombardment had amounted to the ‘collective punishment of the Palestinian people’ and ‘no party to an armed conflict is above international law’. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas, after fighters breached the border and killed more than 1,400 people. Guterres said the attacks on 7 October were ‘appalling’ but did not happen in a vacuum – ‘the Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation’. His comments have sparked a fierce row with Israel and prompted calls for his resignation
Israel and Hamas at war – live updates
UN’s António Guterres calls for immediate ceasefire to end ‘epic suffering’ in Gaza
