Image Source – PBS
World – As Israeli airstrikes continue to kill Palestinians, including those sheltering in designated safe zones and health facilities, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned that a concerted international effort is urgently needed to prevent the total collapse of life-saving support in Gaza.
“As the complete blockade of assistance essential for survival enters its ninth week, there must be concerted international efforts to stop this humanitarian catastrophe from reaching a new unseen level,” he said.
Türk reiterated the responsibility of the global community to act against those who perpetrate these war crimes and to hold them accountable for their violations against the Palestinian population.
“Third States have clear obligations under international law to ensure that such conduct stops immediately, and they must act accordingly,” he said.
Israel Perpetrating All Forms of Collective Punishment
Türk further cautioned the Israeli government that “any use of starvation of the civilian population as a method of war constitutes a war crime, and so do all forms of collective punishment.”
Recently, Israel has blocked the entry of food, fuel, and other vital aid, undoing much of the work done to keep civilians alive. Reports indicate that food supplies are now rapidly depleting.
He also expressed concern over Israel’s reported plan to declare Rafah governorate a new “humanitarian zone,” which would force Palestinians to relocate to access food and aid, leaving the most vulnerable in a devastating predicament.
“Such a plan will almost certainly mean large parts of Gaza and those who cannot easily move—including people with disabilities, the sick or injured, and women supporting entire families—will be forced to go without food,” he said.
Human Rights Documented Israeli Attacks
According to a UN Human Rights Office report, from 18 March to 27 April, the office documented 259 attacks on residential buildings and 99 on tents sheltering internally displaced people (IDPs), many of which resulted in deaths, including women and children.
Among these, 40 attacks occurred in Al-Mawasi—an area the Israeli military had directed civilians to.
“These incidents reflect a pattern that raises grave concerns of violations of the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions. Each of these incidents must be fully investigated,” Türk said.
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Israeli Attacks on Health Facilities in Gaza
Since the start of Israel’s bombardment of the enclave, the Israeli army has continued to attack health facilities and target civilian entities essential to the survival of the people in Gaza.
On 22 and 24 April, Israeli forces reportedly struck the Martyr Mohammad Al Durrah Children’s Hospital, rendering it inoperable. At the same time, coordinated attacks on water and sanitation vehicles across three governorates have crippled relief operations.
“Such destruction significantly hinders access to water, degrades public health, and obstructs both the delivery of humanitarian aid and the conduct of rescue operations, including retrieving the injured and the dead from under the rubble and clearing debris to allow the ambulances to get to the victims,” the High Commissioner said.
He also stated that the cumulative impact of Israeli forces in Gaza raises serious concerns that Israel is inflicting conditions increasingly incompatible with Palestinians’ continued existence as a group in Gaza.
