“Humanity must come first and a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds is urgently needed at this time,” the representative demanded, referring to images of the attack on the Al-Fakhura school in the north of the enclave.
These, he said, clearly showed large numbers of women, children and men being seriously injured or killed.
Türk deplored the attacks on at least three other schools housing internally displaced Palestinians in the past 48 hours, as well as the statements of humanitarian personnel who entered Al Shifa Hospital the day before, describing the place as a “dead zone.” .
“Doctors, staff, patients and civilians have left the hospital, forced by the Israeli military, and hundreds more are marching on foot towards southern Gaza, but where to when nowhere in the Gaza Strip is safe?” asked the head of the UN human rights department .
Even in southern Gaza towns such as Khan Yunis, the Israeli army is carrying out attacks and forcing displaced Palestinians to leave certain locations that are considered military targets of the Israeli forces, he also warned.
“International humanitarian law includes the principles of distinction, proportionality and caution when carrying out attacks, and failure to comply with them may constitute a war crime,” he stressed.
The World Health Organization warned that about 75 percent of hospital centers (25 out of 36) in Gaza are not functioning amid constant attacks by the Tel Aviv army.
For their part, the Palestinian authorities estimate that more than 12,000 civilians have lost their lives and another 32,200 have been injured since October 7 last year.
In Gaza alone, the death toll exceeded 11,800, including 4,900 children, 3,155 women and 690 elderly people, a figure that does not take into account the 3,750 missing buried under the rubble.
jha/ebr