UN High Commissioner: Women and children killed in Gaza in particular
Published: Tuesday, Apr 23rd 2024, 13:31
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The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has sharply criticized recent attacks by Israeli forces in Rafah in the Gaza Strip. Most of the victims were women and children, Volker Türk announced in Geneva on Tuesday. He warned of possible war crimes.
"The recent pictures of a premature baby taken from the womb of its dying mother, (and pictures) of the two neighboring houses where 15 children and five women were killed - this has nothing to do with warfare anymore," Türk said.
The pregnant woman was fatally injured in an Israeli attack on a residential building a few days ago, the office spokeswoman said. Rescue workers had taken her to a hospital where the baby had survived after a caesarean section on its dying mother and was now fighting for its life. The office documented three military strikes in Rafah since April 19, in which at least 30 women and children were killed.
Following the discovery of mass graves at various hospitals, Türk called for an independent investigation. According to his office, bodies were found with their hands tied, among other things. "The deliberate killing of civilians, prisoners and other people who are not in combat is a war crime," Türk said.
According to the office, there are still an estimated 1.2 million displaced persons in Rafah. For a long time, the estimate was 1.7 million. Many people had left Rafah for the north out of fear of the offensive announced by Israel in Rafah.
Such an offensive could lead to further violations of international law, as well as war crimes and crimes against humanity. According to the Palestinian authorities, more than 34,000 people have been killed since the start of the Israeli military operation. This was Israel's response to the devastating terrorist attacks in the south of the country on October 7. Türk also demanded the immediate release of the hostages taken from Israel during the attacks.
©Keystone/SDA
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