UN chief urges immediate Gaza ceasefire, warns of casualties from Israeli operation<br /><br />United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, after Israel announced the first steps of an operation to take over Gaza City.<br /><br />"It is vital to reach immediately a ceasefire in Gaza... to avoid the death and destruction that a military operation against Gaza City would inevitably cause," Guterres said in Japan where he is attending a conference on African development.<br /><br />He also called on Israel to reverse a decision to expand "illegal" settlement construction in the West Bank.<br /><br />The UN chief also reiterated criticism of the United Nations Security Council, saying geopolitical disagreements among its veto-holding permanent members had left the influential body "unable" to reach a consensus on ending conflicts around the world. <br /><br />REUTERS VIDEO<br /><br />Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe <br />Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net <br /> <br />Follow us: <br />Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook <br />Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram <br />Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter <br />DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion <br /> <br />Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital <br />Sign up to our newsletters: https://tmt.ph/newsletters<br /> <br />Check out our Podcasts: <br />Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify <br />Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts <br />Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic <br />Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer <br />Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein<br /> <br />#TheManilaTimes<br />#WorldNews<br />#UN<br />#Gaza
