The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in the Palestinian Territories warned on Thursday that “there is no safe place in Gaza” due to the concentrated Israeli bombing of the Strip since the Hamas attack on October 7.
Lynn Hastings confirmed in a statement that the “prior warnings” given by the Israeli army to the population in order to evacuate the areas it intends to target in the northern Gaza Strip “do not make any difference.”
“There is no safe place in Gaza,” she added.
Hastings noted that the Israeli army “continues to warn the residents of Gaza City that those who remain in their homes are putting themselves in danger.”
She stressed that “the United Nations intends to provide assistance to those who need it where they are.”
The Israeli army, through military spokesmen in Arabic, repeatedly warned the residents of Gaza City to leave it and go to “the humanitarian zone in the Al-Mawasi area, to which humanitarian aid will be directed when needed.”
“For people who can’t leave, whether because they have nowhere to go or are unable to move around, advance warnings don’t make any difference,” Hastings said.
She continued: “When evacuation routes are bombed, when people in the north as well as in the south are exposed to hostilities, when the basic requirements for continuity are not available, and when there is no guarantee of return, people are left with nothing but impossible options.”
She recalled that “armed conflicts, wherever they occur, are governed by international humanitarian law, and this means that civilians must be protected and have the basic components for their survival wherever they are, whether they choose to move or stay.”
She continued: “This also means that the hostages, all the hostages, must be released immediately and unconditionally.”
On October 7, Hamas launched the most violent attack in the history of Israel, resulting in the killing of more than 1,400 people, most of whom were civilians who died on the first day of the attack.
Hamas is holding more than 200 people, including foreigners, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel has launched an intense and violent bombardment on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the deaths of 6,546 Palestinians, including 2,704 children, since October 7.
18 killed in an Israeli bombing that targeted a house in Khan Yunis
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2023-10-26 09:38:32