Guterres slams Israel and Hamas for creating 'hell on Earth'

Secretary General's comments come as diplomatic moves towards a ceasefire gather pace

The exchange of strikes between Israel and Hamas must stop immediately, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres told the UN General Assembly on Thursday, saying the fighting had created “hell on earth” for children in Gaza.

On the 11th day of air strikes and rocket attacks which have killed at least 232 Palestinians in Gaza, and 10 people in Israel, Mr Guterres scolded the Israeli military and militant groups in Gaza.

"I am deeply shocked by the continued air and artillery bombardment by the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza," Mr Guterres said.

He continued that the "indiscriminate firing of rockets by Hamas and other militant groups towards population centres in Israel ... is also unacceptable."

"If there is a hell on earth, it is the lives of children in Gaza," Mr Guterres said.

The General Assembly meeting was requested by Niger and Algeria, respectively the current chairs of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation and the Arab Group at the UN.

It came as Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran had launched a drone towards Israel, a claim the military has yet to confirm.

“While we were engaged in these hostilities a few days ago, Iran sent an armed drone from Iraq or from Syria,” he said at a briefing alongside German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.

“Iranian forces launched an armed drone, which our forces intercepted on the border between Israel and Jordan and that I think says everything on the true patron of terror in the Middle East and in the world: Iran.”

Ahead of a rumoured ceasefire agreement, Israel struck the enclave hard on Thursday. The Israeli military said it had hit at least three homes of Hamas commanders in Khan Younis with bombing raids on Deir Al Balah and Gaza City.