The human rights leader of the United Nations has conveyed a grim message, stating that the “darkest chapter” of the conflict in Gaza is currently unfolding in the northern region. He cautioned that Israel’s military actions could potentially be classified as “atrocity crimes.”
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Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, highlighted a staggering statistic: “Over 150,000 individuals are reported dead, injured, or unaccounted for in Gaza” since the outbreak of war just over a year ago. “It is unimaginable, yet the situation deteriorates daily,” he lamented.
“My greatest concern is that, given the all-encompassing nature, scale, and sheer intensity of the Israeli military’s current operations in northern Gaza, those numbers may rise sharply,” he added, expressing deep worry over the suffering of innocent civilians.
Amidst this turmoil, women and children are left waiting for medical care, sitting forlornly on the floors of the beleaguered Kamal Adwan Hospital.
Mr. Turk raised alarm bells regarding Israel’s policies in the northern territories of Gaza, suggesting they could “render the area devoid of its Palestinian population.” He stated, “We face the potential onset of atrocity crimes, which might even extend to violations of humanity itself.”
Moreover, he pointed out that armed groups reportedly continue to operate amongst the civilian populace, even within designated shelters. This tactic not only jeopardizes the safety of those seeking refuge but is also “absolutely intolerable,” according to him.
With passion, Mr. Turk implored world leaders to take decisive action, reminding them of their responsibilities under the Geneva Conventions: to uphold international humanitarian law. “For months now, I have urged all parties involved in the conflict, as well as every nation… to intervene, cease the bloodshed, ensure the immediate and unconditional release of hostages, and uphold the principles of international humanitarian and human rights law,” he declared.
He continued, “Yet, the relentless violence perpetuates.” His remarks underscored the urgency of the ongoing crisis, emphasizing that “today, we witness the bleakest reality of the Gaza conflict in the northern strip, where the Israeli military is essentially subjecting an entire civilian population to relentless bombardment, blockades, and severe starvation risks.”
“The airstrikes in northern Gaza are unceasing,” he emphasized, further warning that the Israeli military has instructed countless civilians to evacuate. “But options for safe passage have all but disappeared,” he cautioned.
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The UN rights chief is gravely concerned about the situation, noting that “access to northern Gaza is almost non-existent, and aid has been virtually nonexistent for weeks.”
“Many are now teetering on the brink of starvation,” he stated, adding, “At the same time, the Israeli military targets hospitals, resulting in casualties among both staff and patients.”
Turk reminded us that the International Court of Justice made it clear that Israel has a duty to allow the entry and distribution of crucial humanitarian assistance. He specifically pointed out the court’s binding directives ensuring Israel adheres to its obligations under the Genocide Convention, highlighting that other nations also bear responsibility to act.
“The Genocide Convention places an obligation on state parties to intervene whenever a risk becomes apparent,” he articulated. With palpable urgency, he warned that “the principles of international law are gradually being undermined” and called upon global leaders “not to forsake our essential humanity.”
“The world stands at a crossroads: either we disappoint those desperately in need, or we unify to halt this catastrophic situation,” he asserted, making a passionate plea for concerted action.
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In a concerning development, the director of the World Health Organization (WHO) reported losing contact with staff at the last operational hospital in northern Gaza, following Israeli military actions in the area.
“Since early reports of a raid on Kamal Adwan hospital, we’ve been cut off from the personnel on the ground, a distressing turn given the number of patients and civilians seeking safety there,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on social media.
He has called for an immediate ceasefire and the safeguarding of medical facilities, as well as the protection of patients, healthcare personnel, and humanitarian workers.
Tragically, this is taking place as Israeli military operations intensify, killing at least 72 individuals overnight, with forces launching a nighttime incursion into a northern hospital, according to Palestinian officials.
The health ministry in Gaza reported that an Israeli strike on residential areas in Khan Younis resulted in at least 38 fatalities, predominantly among women and children.
Israeli military officials asserted that their forces have neutralized several armed Palestinian militants through air and ground assaults while dismantling military capabilities.
Heartbreakingly, families in Khan Younis are sifting through the wreckage of their homes in search of belongings and documents, while children sift through rubble for lost toys. Ahmed Sobh spoke about the terror of reaching out for a cousin, only to find her children lifeless, pinned beneath debris.
“We managed to locate her children—a boy and a girl—martyred beneath the concrete,” he recounted. “It took us one and a half hours to retrieve him,” he told Reuters, his voice heavy with sorrow.
Another resident, Ahmed al-Farra, shared his story of pulling relatives, including his mother, from the wreckage, expressing the deep anguish felt after losing 15 family members to the airstrikes. “While digging her out, I was caught between the decision to rescue her or to take cover from an approaching tank, filled with dread I continued digging,” he recalled.
At Nasser Hospital, medics prepared the deceased for burial, including three innocent children swaddled together in a single white shroud.
In the northern sector of Gaza, where the town of Jabalia has barely begun to clear from weeks of assaults, health officials reported Israeli forces storming Kamal Adwan Hospital—one of three facilities left struggling to function—and stationed troops at its entrance.
“The terrorization of the civilian population, particularly the injured and children, began as they (the Israeli military) opened fire on the hospital,” said Eid Sabbah, the nursing director, in a voice note to Reuters.
After the military withdrew, an ambulance from the World Health Organization arrived to evacuate patients from the besieged facility.
The WHO confirmed that they successfully transferred 49 patients and caregivers to the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. “Chaos and confusion were everywhere… The emergency department was overwhelmed, with numerous traumatic cases flooding in,” reported Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative for the occupied Palestinian territory.
The military’s humanitarian division, Cogat, claimed credit for facilitating the transfer of those 49 patients, along with sending medical supplies including fuel and blood donations to Kamal Adwan Hospital.
However, after a partial evacuation, Israeli tanks returned and unleashed fire upon the hospital, targeting its oxygen reserves before storming inside and ordering staff and patients to evacuate, according to the nursing director.
The Israeli military rebutted, asserting that their operations in and around Kamal Adwan Hospital were based on intelligence regarding the presence of “terrorists and terrorist infrastructure.” Medics at three hospitals have stood firm against Israeli commands to evacuate, arguing against leaving their patients unattended.
Reports indicate that at least 800 Palestinian lives have been lost in northern Gaza since the initiation of the latest military campaign three weeks ago. Israel claims to have returned to northern Gaza to eliminate regrouped Hamas fighters; however, Israeli forces reported losing three soldiers in combat while claims of Hamas’ distinction have surfaced.
In the meantime, new airstrikes in the nearby Gaza town of Beit Lahiya have reportedly claimed the lives of 25 individuals and left many others wounded. An attack in the Shati refugee camp also resulted in nine fatalities, raising the total deaths from Israeli airstrikes across the region to at least 72 since the previous night.
This escalation coincides with the United States renewing efforts to broker a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. A Hamas official confirmed to Reuters that a delegation, led by chief negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya, has engaged Egyptian officials in Cairo to discuss the conflict.
Hamas has expressed unwavering determination that any agreement must not only halt hostilities in Gaza but also secure the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a potential hostages-for-prisoners exchange. In the coming days, negotiators from the US and Israel plan to convene in Qatar to pursue fresh discussions.
The conflict escalated dramatically following a Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, which directly resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and led to around 250 hostages being taken into Gaza. The death toll from Israel’s retaliatory actions in Gaza approaches a staggering 43,000, leaving the already densely populated enclave utterly devastated by ongoing airstrikes.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
