UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark warning to world leaders at the opening of the 80th session of the General Assembly, saying humanity is living through “a harsh era of reckless turmoil and unrelenting human suffering,” as the foundations of the international order collapse and the principles on which the UN was built 80 years ago erode.
Guterres painted a bleak picture of the global system, stressing that the debates in the UN hall are “a matter of life and death for millions of people.” He focused in particular on Gaza, now entering its third year of war, describing the scale of death and destruction as “beyond any other conflict.” He said famine had become a reality despite measures ordered by the International Court of Justice, stressing that the only viable solution remains a two-state solution.
The Secretary-General denounced what he called a culture of “impunity,” which he said underpins global chaos, and warned of the consequences of cutting humanitarian and development aid. He argued that such cuts “sentence many to death and steal the future from many more.”
His remarks came as US President Donald Trump said his administration was working toward a ceasefire but accused Hamas of repeatedly rejecting proposals. He demanded the group release hostages immediately, saying most had already been freed and vowing to secure the release of those remaining “all at once.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described events in Gaza as “a genocide that has continued for more than 700 days,” citing the deaths of over 20,000 children and widespread starvation. He condemned the targeting of hospitals and the displacement of civilians, calling the war “one of humanity’s darkest moments.”
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the UN’s authority itself was at stake, warning that the organization’s founding values faced unprecedented threats. “Nothing justifies the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” he declared.
An independent UN inquiry concluded that Israeli leaders incited genocide, destroyed civilian infrastructure on a large scale, and deliberately deprived Palestinians of vital resources in conditions amounting to genocide.
On the ground, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that 38 people were killed and 190 injured in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll since 7 October 2023, to more than 65,000, with nearly 167,000 wounded. The ministry said 12,823 had been killed since mid-March alone.
Hamas’ armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, and Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades announced fresh attacks on Israeli troops and vehicles in Gaza, including ambushes in Tel Al-Hawa and Sheikh Radwan. The Israeli military confirmed its first officer killed in the new ground operation “Gideon’s Chariots 2” after an RPG strike on a tank he was commanding.
Meanwhile, UNRWA said 12 of its facilities, including nine schools and two health centers sheltering over 11,000 displaced people, were struck between September 11 and 16. The Palestinian Medical Relief Society said Gaza’s main medical center had been destroyed.
Politically, Hamas welcomed the statement from the International Two-State Solution Conference in New York calling for a permanent ceasefire, prisoner exchanges, Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, and an end to settlement expansion. Hamas reaffirmed that “armed resistance is a national right until the occupation ends.”
In a joint statement, 24 countries including Canada, France, and Germany urged Israel to reopen medical corridors to the West Bank to allow patients from Gaza urgent treatment. The United States was notably absent from the signatories.
Separately, Fox News reported that Hamas sent a message to Trump requesting his personal guarantee of a 60-day ceasefire in exchange for releasing half of the Israeli hostages. Axios said Trump is planning to meet with a “select group” of Middle East leaders on the sidelines of the UN gathering in New York to discuss ending the war.
