"France's Humanitarian Aid Pledge and Urgent Call for Peace in Gaza"

The head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, called for a humanitarian ceasefire and urged the international community to take concrete action to address the dire situation in Gaza. UN Secretary-General António Guterres also condemned the acts of terror committed by Hamas and called for support for civilians in Gaza. The UN relief chief stressed the urgent need for a humanitarian ceasefire, protection of civilians, and increased aid access. Both UN leaders appealed for respect for international humanitarian law and the opening of additional border crossings for aid. The UN and its partners issued a $1.2 billion funding appeal to scale up humanitarian operations in Gaza and the West Bank.