UN slams ‘unrelenting’ killings in Gaza

Geneva: The United Nations on Friday condemned “unrelenting” new killings of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, as at least 32 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces in April, six months into a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Gazans remain unsafe with Israel staging daily attacks, UN human rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement.

A ceasefire started in Gaza on October 10, but violence has not stopped in the Palestinian territory.

“The unrelenting pattern of killings reflects continuing disregard for Palestinian lives, enabled by sweeping impunity,” said Turk.

Citing figures from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, the UN high commissioner for human rights said that since the start of April, at least 32 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces.

“For the past 10 days, Palestinians are still being killed and injured in what is left of their homes, shelters and tents of displaced families, on the streets, in vehicles, at a medical facility and a classroom,” said Turk.

He cited the killing on Monday of a contractor working for the World Health Organization, and the killing of an Al Jazeera journalist on Wednesday.

“The number of journalists and humanitarian personnel killed in Gaza is unprecedented, and further compounds civilian harm as it makes reporting on the situation and responding to its humanitarian implications life-threatening,” said Turk,

“Movement itself has become a life-threatening activity. Incidents of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces while walking, driving, or standing outside are recorded nearly every day.”

He said suffering had been exacerbated by “persistent Israeli restrictions” on the entry of aid, plus the destruction of civilian infrastructure, and increasing violence by “Palestinian armed actors reportedly backed by the Israeli military”.

– ‘Repeated crimes’ –

“Palestinians have no blueprint for survival: whatever they do or don’t do, wherever they go or don’t go, there is no safety or protection afforded to them. It is hard to square this with a ceasefire,” said Turk, pointing to the killing of more than 700 Palestinians and injuries to over 2,000 others in the last six months, according to health ministry figures.

“After two-and-a-half years of repeated crimes under international law, committed with sweeping impunity, and tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians killed, the international community must move beyond words,” Turk said.

“It must undertake meaningful actions to end Israel’s ongoing violations of international law, ensure accountability for crimes committed by all parties, and guarantee that Palestinians are able to start the recovery and rebuilding of their homes and community.”

Some 1,221 people died in Hamas attack on Israel in 2023, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Israel’s offensive since has left at least 72,000 people dead, according to Gaza’s health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN.