Guterres condemns Israel for Gaza killings

KAMPALA, Jan 21 (Reuters/BBC): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday denounced Israel for the "heartbreaking" deaths of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and called it unacceptable to resist statehood for the Palestinian people.

"Israel's military operations have spread mass destruction and killed civilians on a scale unprecedented during my time as secretary-general," Guterres said at the opening of a summit of the G77+China in the Ugandan capital Kampala.

"This is heartbreaking and utterly unacceptable. The Middle East is a tinder-box, we must do all we can to prevent conflict from igniting across the region."

Israel launched its offensive in Gaza after the Islamist militant group Hamas' Oct 7 attack in which Israeli officials say more than 1,200 Israelis and foreigners were killed and 240 taken hostage.

Israel's campaign has killed more than 25,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities on Sunday, and displaced most of the enclave's 2.3 million people from their homes.

Over the course of the war, the Israeli military has expressed regret for civilian deaths but it accuses Hamas of operating in densely populated areas and using civilians as human shields, a charge the group denies.

Guterres added that the refusal to accept the two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians is totally unacceptable, saying denying Palestinians the right to statehood "would indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a major threat to global peace and security".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on Saturday to push back against US President Joe Biden's remarks about Palestinian statehood after the war against Hamas ends.

Meanwhile, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has again rejected the idea of creating a Palestinian state. His comments came hours after a phone call with US President Joe Biden after which the US leader indicated Mr Netanyahu may still accept the idea.

Mr Netanyahu's remarks appeared to deepen a public divide with the US. The US believes a Palestinian state alongside Israel - known as a "two-state solution" - is vital for long-term stability. But the White House acknowledged this week the US and Israeli governments "clearly see things differently".

Speaking to reporters after the two leaders held a call for the first time in almost a month, Mr Biden insisted a two-state solution was still possible with Mr Netanyahu in office.

"There are a number of types of two-state solutions. There's a number of countries that are members of the UN that... don't have their own militaries," he said.

Israeli protesters call for

change to Netanyahu govt

Thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, accusing the veteran leader of mishandling the nation's security and calling for a new election.

Anti-government protests that shook the nation for much of 2023 ceased after the attacks by Hamas in southern Israel on Oct 7. Political rifts were set aside as Israelis rallied behind the military and the families of those killed or taken hostage.

But with the devastating war in Gaza in its fourth month and opinion polls showing lagging support for Netanyahu, calls for leadership changes are growing stronger, though there is no indication that his position is under any imminent threat.

This was reflected in Saturday night's turnout in a central Tel Aviv square where many of last year's protests took place.

While the crowd was much smaller than those seen last year, it still comprised several thousand people, with many banging on drums, yelling their dismay and waving Israeli flags.

"The government that abandoned us on Oct 7 continues to abandon us every day since - those evacuated from the northern and southern (borders), the families of the victims, the reservists, the hostages," said Noam Alon, whose brother, a soldier, was killed trying to clear an Israeli town from Hamas gunmen.

"The power is in our hands to change and repair," she said from the stage. "This government needs to go home. Now!" And the crowd answered her, shouting: "Now! Now!".