GENEVA: The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has strongly condemned the sharp escalation by Israel in the Gaza Strip, adding that its actions in the Palestinian territory amount to ‘ethnic cleansing.’
“This latest barrage of bombs … and the denial of humanitarian assistance underline that there appears to be a push for a permanent demographic shift in Gaza that is in defiance of international law and is tantamount to ethnic cleansing,” Volker Turk said in a statement.
He warned that a clear intensification in attacks this week raised fears the wider Israeli offensive had begun.
“We must stop the clock on this madness,” he said, urging all parties, including third states with direct influence, to stop the assault.
Trump says lot of people are starving in Gaza
US President Donald Trump said Friday that “a lot of people are starving” in the besieged Gaza Strip, where rescuers reported more than 70 people killed in Israeli air strikes since midnight.
Trump’s brief comments on Gaza came as he capped the first foreign tour of his second term, which saw him visit several Gulf countries but excluded key ally Israel.
A two-month ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed in March, shortly after Israel reimposed a total blockade on Gaza that aid agencies say has sparked critical food shortages.
Gaza death toll surges to 53,010
The health ministry in Gaza said 2,876 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, taking the war’s overall toll to 53,010.
Israeli media reported Friday that the military had stepped up its offensive in Gaza following government approval of a plan to retake the territory earlier this month, though the army has yet to formally announce its threatened expansion of the campaign.
#Gaza: The sharp escalation of attacks & killings this week, including #Israel‘s strikes on hospitals, are compounding the already desperate humanitarian situation amid signs of even worse to come.
We must stop the clock on this madness.
— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) May 16, 2025
Israel’s main group representing the families of hostages still held in Gaza said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was missing an “historic opportunity” to get their loved ones out.
The United Nations estimates that 70 percent of Gaza is now either an Israeli-declared no-go zone or under evacuation order.
