1,857 Palestinians killed in less than 3 months in Gaza while seeking food: UN rights office
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The UN human rights office on Tuesday said over 1,850 Palestinians have been killed while trying to access food in Gaza in less than three months, warning that humanitarian conditions are worsening as Israel continues to restrict aid, Anadolu reports.
“Reaching the meagre supplies available can be a deadly pursuit,” spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters in Geneva, noting that between May 27 and Aug. 17, the human rights office documented that 1,857 Palestinians were killed while seeking food, “including 1,021 killed in the vicinity of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites, and 836 killed on the routes of supply trucks.”
“Most of these killings appear to have been committed by the Israeli military,” he said.
He warned that “the risk of starvation is everywhere in Gaza,” describing it as “a direct result of the Israeli government’s policy of blocking humanitarian aid.”
“In the past few weeks, Israeli authorities have only allowed aid to enter in quantities that remain far below what would be required to avert widespread starvation.”
READ: Israel’s plan to occupy Gaza will cause devastating humanitarian impact, warns OCHA
The spokesperson also noted that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, displaced to the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, have little or no access to essential services and supplies, including food, water, electricity, and tents.
He added that the Israeli army has intensified its attacks in the north of the strip, while displacement orders continue even in areas where strikes are recorded.
The spokesperson also recalled High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk’s remarks that warned against plans for a military takeover of Gaza City, saying such a move “must be immediately halted.”
Al-Kheetan said the plan has a “huge risk” for civilians, explaining the risks as mass displacement, more killings, and more misery.
He also addressed the recently released footage of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, showing Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouthi in prison.
“Video footage showing Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir berating and taunting Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouthi face-to-face inside an Israeli jail is unacceptable,” he said.
“The minister’s behavior and the publication of the footage constitute an attack on Barghouthi’s dignity.”
Israel has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.
READ: UNICEF: Gaza’s children killed wherever they are, calls to prioritise their lives
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