UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to the press outside the Security Council Chamber at the UN headquarters in New York on March 11, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for ceasefires in Gaza and Sudan during the holy month of Ramadan.

As Monday marks the start of the holy month of Ramadan, it is a period when Muslims around the world celebrate and spread the values of peace, reconciliation and solidarity. Yet the killing, bombing and bloodshed continue in Gaza, he said.

"My strongest appeal today is to honor the spirit of Ramadan by silencing the guns -- and removing all obstacles to ensure the delivery of life-saving aid at the speed and massive scale required," he told reporters.

The civilian killing and destruction have been at a level that is unprecedented in his years as UN secretary-general. Meanwhile, life-saving relief for Palestinians in Gaza is coming in trickles -- if it comes at all, said Guterres.

International humanitarian law lies in tatters. And a threatened Israeli assault on Rafah could plummet the people of Gaza into an even deeper circle of hell, he warned.

Guterres also called for a Ramadan cessation of hostilities in Sudan.

"The fighting there must end for the sake of the Sudanese people who face hunger, horrors and untold hardships," he said.

"In Gaza, in Sudan, and beyond, it is time for peace. I call on political, religious and community leaders everywhere to do everything in their power to make this holy period a time for empathy, action and peace," said Guterres. 

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