UN Secretary-General: Hamas Attack Does Not Justify Collective Punishment of Palestinians by Israel

The UN Secretary-General stated that Hamas's 'shameful' attack on Israel 'can never justify the collective punishment of Palestinians.' According to the Associated Press, Antonio Guterres called for the protection of civilians and the preservation of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and UN facilities from bombings. Guterres, speaking at a meeting on the Israel-Gaza war hosted by Egypt, said that a 'two-state solution' is the only realistic foundation for true peace and stability. He stated, 'Israelis must fulfill their legitimate security needs, and Palestinians must fulfill their legitimate aspirations for an independent state.' According to Guterres, the UN will work around the clock to ensure the continued delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza after the passage of 20 aid trucks from Egypt on Saturday, October 21. He added, 'But the people of Gaza need much, much more - a continuous flow of aid to Gaza, at the scale that is needed.' A reporter from Voice of America in Israel reported that the militant group Hamas fired rockets toward more than 10 cities in southern and central Israel just two hours after the arrival of the 20 humanitarian aid trucks in Gaza. Most of these rockets were intercepted by Israel's 'Iron Dome' system. In response to Hamas's rocket attacks, the Israeli military bombed several positions of the group in Gaza. The Israeli military also stated that it targeted several positions of the Lebanese Hezbollah group in response to its attacks on Friday and Thursday night. The Israeli Defense Ministry announced on Saturday that over 6,900 rockets have been fired toward Israel in the two weeks since the Hamas militants' attack, with 450 of them failing and falling within the Gaza Strip.