By Lekan Adejuwon
The heads of major United Nations organisations on Monday made a united call for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza as Israeli strikes intensify nearly one month into the conflict.
The 18 signatories include Volker Turk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Ghebreyesus, and UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Martin Griffiths.
“An entire population is besieged and under attack, denied access to the essentials for survival, bombed in their homes, shelters, hospitals, and places of worship. This is unacceptable,” they said in a joint statement.
“Enough is enough,” the statement said. “This must stop now.”
The joint statement denounced the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel where some 1,400 people were killed and more than 200 people were taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
It also said Israel’s killings of civilians in Gaza are an “outrage,” adding that 2.2 million Palestinians in the besieged enclave have been denied access to food, water, medicine, electricity, and fuel while being bombed in their homes, shelters, hospitals, and places of worship.
“This is unacceptable,” the statement said.
Hamas on Sunday said the Israeli army carried out “intense bombings” on areas around several hospitals in the north of the Gaza Strip, shortly after telecommunications were cut, the AFP reported.
Israel cut internet and phone lines in the Strip, a third communications blackout since the start of the war on 7 October.
Earlier on Friday, Mr Griffiths called for humanitarian “pauses” in Israel’s bombardment of Palestinian enclave to help aid deliveries, which are far below pre-conflict levels.
In one month, Israeli air strikes have killed more than 9,500 people in Gaza, including 3,900 children and over 2,400 women, according to the Ministry of Health. More than 23,000 injured people require immediate treatment within “overstretched hospitals,” the humanitarian organisations’ statement said.
Palestinian envoy to the United Nations Riyad Mansour asked Mr Griffiths to call for a full ceasefire.
“You should be saying clearly and loudly in line with IHL (International Humanitarian Law) that a ceasefire should take place,” Mr Mansour said.
“Saving lives should take place. An immediate cessation of all of these hostilities should take place. This is what I expect from you.”
Hostage release
The joint statement by the 18 groups called for the “immediate and unconditional” release of all civilian hostages.
“We renew our plea for the parties to respect all their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law,” it said.
UN fatalities
Several aid workers working in the enclave have been killed since the start of the war, including 88 UN members – the highest number of UN fatalities ever recorded in a single conflict, Reuters reported
More than 100 attacks against healthcare facilities have been reported, the statement highlighted, demanding the protection of hospitals, shelters, and schools.
AFP
