UN Rights Chief condemns Israel for ordering "full siege" on Gaza, urges defusion of situation
Oct 10, 2023
Tel Aviv [Israel], October 10 : The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned the decision of Israel to order a "full siege" of Gaza, and also pleaded with "states with influence" to defuse the situation, Al Jazeera reported.
The UN High Commissioner has also condemned Israel's ban on food and water towards Gaza.
In a statement, Volker Turk pleaded with states with influence to defuse the situation and stressed upholding international and humanitarian law.
"We are faced with an explosive powder keg situation. We know how this plays out, time and time again - the loss of Israeli and Palestinian lives and incalculable suffering inflicted on both communities," Turk said.
"All parties must respect international humanitarian law. They must immediately cease attacks targeting civilians and attacks expected to cause disproportionate death and injury of civilians or damage to civilian objects," Al Jazeera quoted Turk as saying.
He further added that sieges that hurt the lives of civilians are "prohibited under international humanitarian law".
"The world cannot afford more polarisation. We need to find solutions guided by the full respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law," he added.
This comes after Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that he has ordered a "complete siege" of the Gaza Strip, Times of Israel reported.
"I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed," Gallant said.
"We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly," he added.
According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, at least 770 Palestinians have been killed and 4,000 wounded in Israeli air raids. Among the dead are 140 children and 120 women, a ministry spokesperson said.
In addition to this, at least 18 people have also been killed and around 100 were injured in the West Bank region since Saturday, Al Jazeera reported.
Meanwhile, at least 900 Israelis were killed and over 2,616 people injured after Hamas launched a barbaric 'surprise attack' on Israel on October 7.
In another update, the Times of Israel reported that the Israeli military is allowing foreign journalists to cover the scenes of Hamas' massacres in towns on the border with the Gaza Strip.
The footage shows dozens of reporters from international media outlets being escorted by the army to Kfar Aza, a kibbutz close to the border.
However, the IDF has not allowed Israeli media to approach the area, as per Times of Israel.
