UNITED NATIONS, March 18 (Xinhua) -- United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is shocked by the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, calling for the ceasefire to be respected, his spokesperson said on Tuesday.
"The Secretary-General is shocked by the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, in which a meaningful number of civilians have been killed," Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN chief, said in a statement.
"He strongly appeals for the ceasefire to be respected, for unimpeded humanitarian assistance to be reestablished and for the remaining hostages to be released unconditionally," Haq said.
The Israeli airstrikes, launched in the early hours of Tuesday, killed at least 413 Palestinians and wounded hundreds of others, according to the latest update from Gaza's health authorities. ■
