UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is doing a press briefing in Amman, Jordan.

Guterres says it is “absolutely fundamental to preserve the life of the people in Gaza”.

“We have been insisting on the need for a ceasefire.

“In the beginning, our voice was relatively alone, but now we are seeing more and more of the international community recognising the same,” he said.

Guterres says a UN Security Council resolution expected to be voted later in the day does not link a ceasefire in Gaza to the release of Israeli hostages.

In the resolution, “a ceasefire is required together with, but not in a linkage with the unconditional release of all hostages,” he said in Amman.

“And we have also claimed for the need for that release,” he added.

Guterres says that there is no double standard at the secretary-general of the UN.

“There might be double standards in many places in the world, but there is no double standard in the secretary-general of the UN,” he said.

He stressed: “For us, what matters are the principles, and the principles are the UN Charter, international law, territorial integrity of the countries, but also the international humanitarian law and the right of self-determination of people.”

The UN chief said he sees “a growing consensus emerging in the international community to tell Israel a ceasefire is needed.”

“But also there is also a growing consensus to tell clearly to the Israelis that any ground invasion of Rafah could mean a catastrophic humanitarian disaster,” he added.

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