UNITED NATIONS: A group of United Nations (UN) human rights experts on Thursday condemned attacks on civilians in Gaza and in Israel in the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying that the Israel is now committing “war crimes” through “collective punishment” by blockading assistance to the Gaza enclave.
The war has killed nearly 2,500 people on both sides. Concerns for civilians in Gaza have mounted in recent days as the territory runs out of medical and power supplies due to a complete blockade by the Jewish state.
The experts said that there is no justification for violence that indiscriminately targets innocent civilians. This is absolutely prohibited under international law and amounts to a war crime. Tehy warned of a serious humanitarian crisis in the enclave and of the severe risk of starvation.
UN humanitarian agencies on Thursday warned that the blockaded Gaza is on the brink of running out of water, food, electricity and critical supplies.
No assistance can come in from the outside for the 2.3 million residents of the blockaded enclave, and nearly 220,000 displaced people are sheltering in schools run by the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA.
Latest on the situation in📍#GazaStrip
🔺Nearly 220,000 people sheltering in 92 @UNRWA schools
🔺At least 340,000 Palestinians have been displaced across📍#GazaStrip
🔺No humanitarian access for food or essential supplies – a water crisis is loominghttps://t.co/ckKvmjSEdD pic.twitter.com/gtqE4aSAu4
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) October 12, 2023
UN agencies’ warning
The UN agencies said they are continuing to assit Gaza’s population as best as possible. The UN World Food Programme said that together with UNRWA it delivered fresh bread from “bakeries still able to operate” and food to more than 175,000 displaced people across eighty-eight shelters on Wednesday, with plans to reach more than 800,000 people across Palestine.
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The agency asserted that its food aid stocks were running out and called for urgent aid access.
UNRWA further announced on Thursday that twelve of its personnel have been killed since October 7 in the Gaza Strip.
The UN agency said on social media platform X that it was mourning this loss and were grieving with their colleagues and the families, reiterating that UN crew and civilians must be protected at all times.
