Jeremy Laurence, a spokesperson for Volker Türk in Geneva, stated to reporters that the current dire situation could worsen in the near future if Israeli troops take action in the southern border city, as they have threatened to do, unless Hamas fighters surrender any remaining hostages before the beginning of Ramadan.

This weekend marks the start of the holy month for Muslims around the world, which Mr. Laurence stated as a time to honor peace and tolerance.

According to a source, the people of Gaza are currently residing in extremely poor and inhumane conditions in Rafah with no options for relocation. They also warn that an attack on Rafah could lead to significant loss of lives and increase the likelihood of more atrocious acts.

“We cannot permit this to occur. We are also concerned that any additional limitations placed by Israel on Palestinian entry to East Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan could escalate existing tensions.”

The chief of the United Nations human rights emphasized the need for an immediate resolution to the conflict and for the cessation of violence and destruction.

Release hostages unconditionally

Mr. Türk called for the unconditional release and return of the hostages who were taken by Hamas and other militant groups during the 7 October terrorist attacks, stating that they have endured 150 days of suffering and torment.

In continuing its offensive, Israel, as the occupying power, “must – we repeat – fully comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law to provide the increasingly desperate civilian population of Gaza with the necessary food and medical supplies, or, if it is unable to do so, ensure that the population has access to critical life-saving humanitarian assistance commensurate with their needs”, Mr. Laurence stressed.

Moreover, it is imperative that all border crossings and corridors are completely accessible, and measures must be implemented to guarantee that humanitarian aid convoys can safely and freely reach civilians regardless of their location.

Expanding settlements is a violation of international law.

Mr. Türk on Friday also deplored Israel’s latest decision to greenlight the construction of a further 3,476 homes in the occupied West Bank, saying “the drastic acceleration in settlement building is exacerbating long-standing patterns of oppression, violence and discrimination against Palestinians”

The announcement of Israel’s intentions to construct 3,476 new residential units in Maale Adumim, Efrat, and Kedar this week has been met with criticism as it goes against international laws, according to a statement.

According to a statement made by Türk to the Human Rights Council, the growth of Israeli settlements in occupied territories can be seen as a violation of international law as it involves the transfer of Israeli civilians. This act is considered a war crime.

The recently released report, covering the time frame of November 1, 2022 to October 31 of the previous year, reveals that there was a significant advancement of about 24,300 housing units in the Israeli settlements in the West Bank. This is the largest number reported since monitoring began in 2017. The development also included approximately 9,670 units in East Jerusalem.

The report reveals that the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration are closely in sync with the objectives of the Israeli settlers to increase their influence over the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and to ultimately incorporate this occupied land into Israel.

The High Commissioner noted that these actions oppose the perspectives expressed by many countries during recent discussions at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This was in reference to the presentations made by South Africa at the ICJ, which assessed the legal ramification of Israeli actions and strategies in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Over 600 settler attacks

According to Mr. Türk, the West Bank is presently facing a crisis. Unfortunately, incidents of settler violence and violations related to settlements have escalated to alarming levels. This poses a significant threat to the realization of a feasible Palestinian State in the future.

According to the most recent statistics from the United Nations, there have been 603 instances of Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians since October 7. These attacks have resulted in the displacement of 1,222 Palestinians from 19 communities that rely on herding for their livelihood.

From October 7th, the OHCHR (UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) has reported nine instances of Palestinians being fatally shot by settlers. In addition, 396 cases have been recorded of Palestinians being killed by Israeli security forces, with an additional two deaths attributed to either Israeli security forces or settlers.

According to OHCHR, since October 7th, a total of 592 individuals, including 282 children, have been forced out of their homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem due to demolitions caused by the absence of building permits issued by Israel. These permits are extremely difficult to acquire.

Gaza casualties mount

Based on figures from the Gaza health ministry, 78 Palestinians lost their lives and 104 were wounded between Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, according to the latest update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). This brings the total number of fatalities in Gaza to at least 30,878, with 72,402 Palestinians reported as injured.

The WHO reports that approximately 8,000 individuals in Gaza are in need of medical evacuation, with 6,000 of those cases being related to trauma.

There will be further updates regarding this ongoing story…

The source will be “news.un.org”.