Fresh Israeli airstrikes killed at least 30 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, with attacks reported in areas previously designated by Israel as humanitarian “safe zones”. The renewed violence on Friday comes as United Nations staff and a significant portion of United States voters express growing belief that the ongoing military campaign amounts to genocide.
The latest wave of attacks included a drone strike on tents sheltering displaced civilians in the al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis, which killed five people. This area, despite its “safe zone” status, has been a repeated target. Further strikes were reported across Gaza City and the Bureij refugee camp, adding to a death toll that Gaza’s Health Ministry places at nearly 63 000 since the war began in October 2023.
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UN staff pressure rights chief
The escalating violence on the ground is mirrored by growing international and internal pressure on global institutions. In a significant move, more than 500 staff members at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have formally requested that their chief, Volker Turk, publicly describe the situation in Gaza as an unfolding genocide.
In a letter sent on Wednesday, the staff committee argued that the legal criteria for genocide have been met. They cited the scale and nature of the violations documented and warned that a failure to do so undermines the credibility of the UN itself. While Turk acknowledged the staff’s “moral indignation,” a UN spokesperson reiterated that the formal labelling of an event as genocide is a matter for a “competent legal authority.”
This internal pressure reflects a broader shift in public opinion. A recent poll has indicated that half of all voters in the United States believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. This sentiment is shared by some human rights groups and independent UN experts. South Africa initiated a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in 2023.
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