Ajith Sunghay, Head of OHCHR’s Office within the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), instructed UN News that the escalation has triggered in depth destruction to residential buildings in southern elements of North Gaza governorate and in northeastern areas of Gaza City.
This has led to additional civilian casualties and compelled displacement. Local well being authorities reported that 816 Palestinians had been killed between 26 August and 1 September – almost double the variety of fatalities in comparison with the earlier week.
Nowhere to go
Roughly a million Palestinians reportedly stay in northern Gaza, and he stated they’re being pushed into more and more smaller areas within the west of the enclave.
“Many are unable to relocate – there aren’t any protected areas and motion is harmful. Others are nonetheless trapped in jap Gaza City, with humanitarian staff unable to succeed in them,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Israeli navy assaults on individuals looking for assist continued throughout the Gaza Strip, the place humanitarians are nonetheless struggling to herald desperately wanted provides.
OHCHR has recorded over 2,146 deaths within the neighborhood of web sites run by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which started operations in late May, and alongside convoy routes.
West Bank warning
Mr. Sunghay additionally pointed to growing studies of Israeli Government plans to “prolong sovereignty” over the occupied West Bank or successfully annex elements of it.
He recalled that final July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) “very clearly said” that Israel has already included giant elements of the OPT – significantly East Jerusalem and Area C, the place most settlements are situated – into its territory, concluding that this quantities to annexation.
Israel “has performed so, and continues doing so, with the unabated constructing of settlements and outposts and associated infrastructure and with the forcible switch of hundreds of Palestinians from giant swathes of the West Bank now managed by the Israel forces and settlers,” he stated.
“It has performed so additionally by reshaping the West Bank with an in depth community of checkpoints, and gates which guarantee freedom of motion to settlers whereas segregating Palestinian cities and villages.”
Further expulsion risk
He warned that “any declaration of extension of sovereignty over the West Bank may have additional catastrophic penalties on Palestinians” – not solely on their proper to self-determination but additionally on day by day life.
It would facilitate an extra, large enlargement of settlements and legalization of present outposts, and permit Israel to take full management of pure assets there with none restrictions.
“Further, Israel’s targets to formally annex ‘as a lot as land attainable with the least Palestinians in it’ as declared by a few of its leaders, would clearly place Palestinians within the annexed areas at imminent danger of expulsion by way of elevated settler violence, deprivation of political rights, expropriation of land and mass house demolitions,” he stated.
