Türk: Situation in Gaza is ‘Apocalyptic’
Sudan Events – Sumaya Sayed
The UN high commissioner for human rights expressed deep concern about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, describing the situation as “apocalyptic”. Volker Türk denounced “grave breaches of international humanitarian law” in Gaza, citing the Israeli blockade of the territory and the use of explosives in densely populated areas. Asked if Israel was deliberately targeting civilians in Gaza, Türk said “the facts speak for themselves”.
“If you have over 7,000 children who have been killed, if you have 70 % of the victims women and children, there are very serious issues that arise from the perspective of whether or not this is proportional, whether the principle of distinction has been applied and whether or not precaution has been made,”. He added.
He said the decision by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to invoke article 99 of the UN charter for the first time since taking office was a way to convey the urgency of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. “We cannot pretend to the world that there is any meaningful humanitarian assistance,” he said. The letter is “a clarion call to the world to wake up to the situation in Gaza”.
The UN human rights chief said he was “extremely concerned about the rise in anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim bigotry” since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war, adding that “we need to work to address it head-on”.
