The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that hostilities across the Gaza Strip are taking a “heavy toll on civilians, depriving them of safety and means of survival,” amid continuing daily reports of Israeli airstrikes killing and injuring numerous Palestinian civilians.
Yesterday, reports indicated that dozens were killed in Gaza City, including at least eight children, after an Israeli airstrike hit a residential building, with many more still missing under the rubble.
OCHA stressed that civilians must be protected under international law and “never be a target,” according to UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq during today’s press conference in New York.
Mr. Haq told reporters that the World Health Organization (WHO) had been able to support some medical evacuations from Gaza, with 18 patients and approximately 30 companions allowed to leave the Strip yesterday for specialized treatment.
However, he noted that approximately 12,500 patients in Gaza still require medical evacuation, and he conveyed the organization’s call for this to be possible through all available border crossings and corridors.
