The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has warned that Israeli attacks, imposed restrictions, and forced displacement in northern Gaza could lead to the “end of Palestinian presence in the area.”
In a statement released on Monday, the office described the Israeli attacks in northern Gaza as “horrific.”
The statement added that life has become impossible for civilians trapped in northern Gaza, with many residents on the brink of starvation due to repeated forced displacement and severe restrictions on access to essential humanitarian aid supplies.
It noted that Israeli forces continue to bomb and attack the area brutally, particularly targeting the Jabalia refugee camp and its surroundings.
The statement confirmed that Israeli forces stripped many citizens of their belongings before the onset of winter and destroyed homes and schools used as shelters.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday condemned the “continued and widespread loss of life across Gaza,” including Israeli strikes on a residential block in Beit Lahia on Saturday which killed dozens.
|UN: Guterres ‘unequivocally condemns’ continued civilian deaths in Gaza|
“Civilians must be respected and protected at all times, the UN chief remains deeply alarmed by the rapidly deteriorating situation for civilians in northern Gaza, including mass displacement and the lack of essentials for survival,” said UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, briefing reporters in New York.
Mr. Guterres called for immediate and unhindered access for humanitarian and rescue teams to allow them to continue their lifesaving work.
“The recent attacks that have hit hospitals in North Gaza are exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis and placing the lives of tens of thousands at grave risk,” Mr. Haq continued, calling for combatants to protect patients and medical staff.
“The violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza by all parties to this conflict are unacceptable. Accountability for any international crimes that have been committed by any party is essential,” Mr. Haq stated.
On October 6, Israeli forces launched a ground offensive in northern Gaza, besieging the entire area and committing several massacres, including direct executions of displaced individuals, bombing civilian gatherings, and targeting schools that shelter displaced people. They also prevented the entry of water, food, and medicine supplies.
On Monday, Day 381 of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the Israeli army continued demolishing homes west of Jabalia camp and in several areas in the northern parts of the coastal enclave, families trapped in the devastated refugee camp have pleaded for urgent aid and evacuation.
On Sunday, Day 380 of the ongoing genocide, Israeli missiles and shells killed and injured dozens of Palestinians, including children and women, among them 84 Palestinians who were killed in Beit Lahia, at least twenty-two of whom are from one family.
The Israeli army has continued its bombing and shelling of the Gaza Strip by land, sea, and air since October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 42,603 Palestinians, including 17.029 children and 11.585 women, and injuries to 99,795 others, most of whom are children and women, in addition to the thousands of missing Palestinians, largely under the rubble of bombarded buildings, on destroyed streets and bombarded alleys across the devastated coastal enclave.
