UN condemns 'deadly escalation' of latest Israeli military attacks across Gaza City
'As you can imagine, this is having an appalling impact on civilians enduring suffering and starvation,' says spokesperson
Hamza Z. H. Qraiqea
HAMILTON, Canada
The UN on Monday condemned the "deadly escalation" of Israeli military attacks across Gaza City, warning of the devastating toll on civilians already facing starvation and displacement.
"We condemn the deadly escalation of the Israeli military offensive, which we saw over the weekend across Gaza City, with scores of people reportedly killed or injured. As you can imagine, this is having an appalling impact on civilians enduring suffering and starvation," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a press conference.
Dujarric reiterated the UN's call "for the protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel and full respect for international law."
Noting that UN partners "monitoring the movements of people in Gaza counted almost 70,000 displacements heading south, primarily to Deir al-Bala and Khan Younis," he reported that "in the past month, partners observed about 150,000 movements from north to south."
He further highlighted the deteriorating humanitarian situation and said: "Our partners report that 1/3 of malnutrition treatment facilities in Gaza City have already shut down due to forced displacement orders."
Dujarric added that clinics in Deir al-Bala have also suspended services, and "more than half of the ambulances are now out of service, with a very limited number of ambulances to serve thousands of people."
Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), he reported that "Out of the 17 missions that our teams coordinate with the Israeli authorities, only four were facilitated."
"Seven missions were denied, including the delivery of water tanks to the north," said the spokesperson.
He stressed that "our humanitarian colleagues continue to call for unimpeded humanitarian access. Aid should flow at scale through multiple crossings into and within Gaza, including the north."
Highlighting the infrastructural challenges on the ground, Dujarric also noted that "77% of road networks in Gaza have been damaged, with the Gaza and Khan Younis governorates worst affected."
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