The United Nations condemned the recent escalation of Israeli military strikes in Gaza, which have reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 57 Palestinians, including six children, over the past week. The remarks were made on Tuesday by Thameen Al Kheetan, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, during a press briefing in Geneva.
Despite a ceasefire agreement reached in October 2023 between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, violence in Gaza has persisted. Al Kheetan noted that nearly nine months after the truce, no area within Gaza feels safe for civilians. According to his statement, the recent intensification of Israeli attacks from July 13 to 20 has caused numerous casualties, with 57 Palestinians killed, including six children and eight women.
The Israeli military confirmed conducting several operations in recent days targeting Hamas operatives it identified as linked to the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and the subsequent hostage situation. Israeli forces reported hitting a weapons depot, an arms manufacturing facility, and rocket-launching sites, citing these locations as threats to their personnel.
The UN Human Rights Office highlighted that the strikes affected residential zones, including at least one tent sheltering internally displaced persons, as well as other densely populated areas. Al Kheetan emphasized that 34 of the casualties occurred at a distance from the so-called “yellow line,” a boundary imposed by Israel. Among the attacks on July 17 and 18, 10 airstrikes across Gaza City, central and northern Gaza, and Khan Yunis resulted in at least 21 Palestinian deaths. In one instance, an airstrike on a Gaza City apartment killed five family members, including parents and three children aged eight, 15, and 17.
The UN spokesperson raised concerns about potential violations of international humanitarian law, pointing out that the deaths of civilians may constitute war crimes or other atrocity crimes under international statutes. He underlined that intentionally targeting civilians is prohibited by law. Additionally, Al Kheetan warned that Israel’s continual westward adjustment of the “yellow line” has increasingly confined Gaza’s population within a shrinking area, exacerbating humanitarian vulnerabilities.
Israel’s military authorities have not commented on the specific allegations regarding civilian harm but maintain that their strikes target militants and infrastructure that pose threats to Israeli security. The situation remains tense amid ongoing military activity and concerns over the protection of civilians in Gaza.