UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday that the protection of civilians holds paramount importance in any armed conflicts.
"Protecting civilians can never mean using them as human shields," the UN chief told the Security Council open debate on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. "Protecting civilians does not mean ordering more than 1 million people to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine and no fuel, and then continuing to bomb the south itself."
Guterres voiced deep concern over "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," he said.
The UN chief said the situation "is growing more dire by the hour," repeating his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. ■
