<p>Amman: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said during a visit to Jordan on Monday that there is growing international consensus to tell <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/world/israel-conducts-air-raid-on-baalbek-hezbollah-stronghold-in-lebanon-2950281">Israel </a>that a ceasefire is needed and that an assault on <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/world/joe-biden-benjamin-netanyahu-discussed-rafah-gaza-aid-says-white-house-2942073">Rafah </a>would cause a humanitarian disaster.</p><p>"We see a growing consensus emerging in the international community to tell the Israelis that the ceasefire is needed, and I also see a growing consensus, I heard in the US, I heard from the European Union, not to mention of course the Muslim world, to tell clearly to Israelis that any ground invasion of Rafah could mean a humanitarian disaster," Guterres told a press conference.</p><p>During a tour of a centre in Jordan's Wihdat camp where the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA provides health and education services, the top UN official said that the agency was a lifeline of hope and dignity for millions of refugees across the region.</p><p>"We must strive to keep the one-of-a-kind services that UNRWA provides flowing because that keeps hope flowing. In a darkening world, UNRWA is the one ray of light for millions of people," Guterres said.</p>.Netanyahu says he will press forward with military campaign in Rafah.<p>Jordan, which lies at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict, hosts 2.4 million Palestinian refugees, the largest number of such refugees among Israel's neighbours. Many of its citizens are of Palestinian origin.</p><p>UNRWA has been in crisis since Israel accused a dozen of its staff of involvement in the Oct 7 Hamas attacks against Israel.</p><p>The allegations prompted UNRWA's biggest donor, the United States, and some others to pause funding, putting the agency's future in doubt. However, some other countries have since restored funding</p><p>"UNRWA is profoundly contributing in ways that can’t be measured on a graph -- advancing social cohesion, promoting stability, building peace. Imagine if all of this was taken away," Guterres said.</p><p>The results of an independent internal UN investigation that was launched would help strengthen and improve UNRWA, the top UN official said.</p>
<p>Amman: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said during a visit to Jordan on Monday that there is growing international consensus to tell <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/world/israel-conducts-air-raid-on-baalbek-hezbollah-stronghold-in-lebanon-2950281">Israel </a>that a ceasefire is needed and that an assault on <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/world/joe-biden-benjamin-netanyahu-discussed-rafah-gaza-aid-says-white-house-2942073">Rafah </a>would cause a humanitarian disaster.</p><p>"We see a growing consensus emerging in the international community to tell the Israelis that the ceasefire is needed, and I also see a growing consensus, I heard in the US, I heard from the European Union, not to mention of course the Muslim world, to tell clearly to Israelis that any ground invasion of Rafah could mean a humanitarian disaster," Guterres told a press conference.</p><p>During a tour of a centre in Jordan's Wihdat camp where the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA provides health and education services, the top UN official said that the agency was a lifeline of hope and dignity for millions of refugees across the region.</p><p>"We must strive to keep the one-of-a-kind services that UNRWA provides flowing because that keeps hope flowing. In a darkening world, UNRWA is the one ray of light for millions of people," Guterres said.</p>.Netanyahu says he will press forward with military campaign in Rafah.<p>Jordan, which lies at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict, hosts 2.4 million Palestinian refugees, the largest number of such refugees among Israel's neighbours. Many of its citizens are of Palestinian origin.</p><p>UNRWA has been in crisis since Israel accused a dozen of its staff of involvement in the Oct 7 Hamas attacks against Israel.</p><p>The allegations prompted UNRWA's biggest donor, the United States, and some others to pause funding, putting the agency's future in doubt. However, some other countries have since restored funding</p><p>"UNRWA is profoundly contributing in ways that can’t be measured on a graph -- advancing social cohesion, promoting stability, building peace. Imagine if all of this was taken away," Guterres said.</p><p>The results of an independent internal UN investigation that was launched would help strengthen and improve UNRWA, the top UN official said.</p>