U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk. (Credit: AFP)
The northern Gaza Strip is living through its “darkest hours,” said the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday, warning that Israel's actions could amount to “criminal atrocities.”
“The situation is worsening unimaginably by the day. The policies and practices of the Israeli government in northern Gaza risk emptying the area of all Palestinians. We are facing what could amount to criminal atrocities, including possible crimes against humanity,” said Volker Turk in a statement.
In the statement, he reported “more than 150,000 dead, wounded or missing in Gaza” since the start of the war between Hamas and Israel over a year ago.
“Northern Gaza is being bombarded non-stop,” he said, calling on the international community to react, concerned that “the Israeli army has ordered the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, with no guarantee of return.”
He underlined the “extremely limited access” to northern Gaza, where “virtually no aid has been able to reach the area for weeks, with continuing illegal restrictions” by Israel.
He also disapproved of Palestinian armed groups operating from camps and other civilian areas, putting civilians at risk, “which is totally unacceptable,” he said.
