GENEVA: The United Nations human rights chief has condemned Israel’s ground assault on Gaza City as utterly unacceptable.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk demanded an immediate end to what he described as carnage in the Palestinian territory.
He warned of growing evidence pointing towards genocide during the ongoing military operations.
“It is absolutely clear that this carnage must stop,“ Turk told international news agencies when questioned about Israel’s long-anticipated ground assault on Gaza’s largest city.
He emphasised that the whole world screams for peace alongside both Palestinians and Israelis who want an end to the conflict.
The UN official described the latest escalation as totally and utterly unacceptable given the widespread desire for resolution.
Turk highlighted expanding attacks in northwestern Gaza where displaced populations had previously sought shelter from violence.
He specifically decried the ongoing bombardment of residential buildings serving as shelters for repeatedly displaced civilians.
The human rights commissioner stated unequivocally that these attacks need to stop immediately despite Israeli military claims of targeting terrorist infrastructure.
“So far, we haven’t seen any evidence of this,“ Turk stressed regarding Israel’s targeting justification.
He emphasised that international rules of war prohibit attacks on civilians not participating in hostilities.
The UN rights chief expressed particular concern about Gaza’s population sustaining another intensification of violence and destruction amid critical humanitarian assistance shortages.
“I can only think of what it means for women, malnourished children, for people with disabilities, if they are again attacked in this way,“ Turk stated regarding the human impact of continued assaults.
His comments followed a UN investigative report concluding Israel was committing genocide in Gaza since Hamas’s October 2023 attack.
The rights commissioner noted the piling up of war crime after war crime after war crime and crimes against humanity.
“It’s for the court to decide whether it’s genocide or not, and we see the evidence mounting,“ Turk concluded regarding the legal determination of Israel’s actions in Gaza. – AFP