U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Tuesday condemned Israel’s navy actions in Gaza as inhumane and warned of a “catastrophic” humanitarian disaster, urging fast worldwide motion to deal with the escalating state of affairs.
In an interview with Austria’s public broadcaster O1, Türk mentioned Israel’s conduct in Gaza in latest months “no longer has anything to do with respect for fundamental principles of humanity.”
“It is very clear that we must talk to the current Israeli government very, very strongly and exert pressure to ensure that these serious violations of international law do not occur,” Türk mentioned.
The U.N. official expressed alarm over what he described because the mass and repeated displacement of civilians in Gaza. He criticized Israel’s designation of enormous swaths of the territory as navy zones.
“About 80% of the territory of the Gaza Strip is now military areas where people are not allowed to stay,” Türk mentioned. “There are no more words to describe it.”
The commissioner’s remarks comply with a May 16 news convention in Geneva the place he accused Israel of pursuing insurance policies amounting to ethnic cleaning.
“It looks like a push for a permanent population transfer in Gaza that disregards international law and amounts to ethnic cleansing,” he mentioned on the time.
Türk cited continued Israeli bombardments, destruction of neighborhoods and the blockade of humanitarian help as elements contributing to additional displacement and humanitarian struggling within the enclave.
“We have to stop this madness,” he mentioned.
Israel has denied allegations of ethnic cleaning and maintains that its navy actions are in response to safety threats posed by Hamas and different resistance teams working in Gaza.
The battle has displaced a whole lot of hundreds and drawn rising worldwide concern, with humanitarian companies warning of worsening circumstances for civilians caught within the cross-fire.
The Israeli military, rejecting worldwide requires a cease-fire, has pursued a brutal offensive in opposition to Gaza since October 2023, killing practically 54,000 Palestinians, most of them ladies and kids.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on conflict crimes prices and crimes in opposition to humanity in Gaza.
Israel additionally faces a genocide case on the International Court of Justice for its conflict crimes in opposition to civilians within the enclave.
Source: www.dailysabah.com