GENEVA: The UN rights chief warned on Friday that the situation in northern Gaza represents the “darkest moment” of the ongoing conflict, warning that Israel’s actions could amount “atrocity crimes.”
Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that over 150,000 people are reported dead, wounded, or missing in Gaza since the Israel’s war began just over a year ago.
“Unimaginably, the situation is worsening by the day,” he stated. “My gravest fear is that, given the intensity and scale of the Israeli operation currently underway in North Gaza, this number will rise dramatically.”
Turk warned that Israel’s policies in northern Gaza threaten to “empty the area of all Palestinians,” suggesting that the situation could escalate into potential crimes against humanity. He urged world leaders to take action, emphasizing that all nations are obligated under the Geneva Conventions to uphold international humanitarian law.
Israel’s Atrocity Crimes in Northern Gaza
He stressed the urgency of the crisis, stating, “Today, the darkest moment of the Gaza conflict is unfolding in the north of the Strip, where the Israeli military is effectively subjecting an entire population to bombing, siege, and the risk of starvation.”
He described the relentless bombardment in North Gaza and highlighted the Israeli military’s orders for hundreds of thousands to relocate without guarantees of safe return, warning that there is no secure route to leave.
Turk also pointed out that access to this part of Gaza is severely limited, with minimal aid reaching the area in weeks due to unlawful restrictions, leaving many facing starvation. He noted that the Israeli military is targeting hospitals, resulting in casualties among staff and patients, and forcing evacuations simultaneously.
Moreover, he acknowledged that Palestinian armed groups reportedly continue to operate among civilians, including in shelters, which puts non-combatants in danger—an act he deemed “totally unacceptable.”
