The UN Human Rights Office warned of an escalation in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip in recent days, resulting in civilian casualties, and called for respect for the ceasefire and accountability for violations.
Office spokesperson Thamin Khaitan said in a press briefing that the Israeli military “has intensified its attacks in Gaza in recent days, killing and injuring dozens of Palestinians, including children, women, and men. These attacks have struck residential buildings, at least one tent camp for internally displaced persons, and other densely populated areas.”
He added that “nine months after the ceasefire was declared, Palestinians in Gaza remain unsafe.”
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since October 2015. The UN Human Rights Office reported that it has verified the deaths of more than 600 Palestinians since that date, including 269 women and children, most of whom were killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip.
Al-Khitan stated that between July 13 and 20 alone, the Office recorded the killing of at least 57 Palestinians, including six children and eight women. “Of these, 34 were killed far beyond the ‘yellow line’ imposed by Israel,” he noted, referring to the area demarcated by the occupying forces on the ground.
He emphasized that the killing of civilians in these attacks raises “serious concerns about the continued violations of international humanitarian law and the potential commission of war crimes and other atrocities in Gaza,” reiterating that deliberately targeting civilians is “a war crime under international law.”
