Guterres said there was no justification for collective punishment of Palestinians.

The attack carried out by Hamas on October 7 against Israel cannot be a reason for collective punishment of the Palestinians, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the summit in Cairo.

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“We cannot and must not ignore the broader context of these tragic events – a protracted conflict and 56 years of occupation with no end in sight,” Guterres said.

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He noted that nothing could justify Hamas’s attack on Israel, but stressed that “this terrible attack… cannot be a reason for collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”

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Guterres said international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, must be respected. “Israelis must see their legitimate security needs fulfilled, and Palestinians must see their legitimate desire for an independent state fulfilled in accordance with UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements,” the UN secretary general added.