UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Wednesday that the world is entering “an age of chaos” with a deeply divided Security Council unable to address critical issues such as the Israel-Hamas war.

With the war in Gaza entering its fifth month on Wednesday, Guterres warned that if the Israeli armed forces press on into the southern city of Rafah, it will “exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences.”

Israeli forces, in their campaign to destroy Hamas after its unprecedented attack on October 7, have relentlessly bombed the Gaza Strip and carried out a ground invasion, displacing over a million people southward.

“It is time for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages,” Guterres said during a speech to the General Assembly presenting his 2024 priorities.