“As representatives of the UN and its Member States, we have the responsibility to observe and report,” stated Jens Laerke, OCHA spokesperson, during a press briefing in Geneva. “It is our duty to clarify that according to international humanitarian law, indiscriminate bombing in densely populated areas could be considered a war crime.”

OCHA disclosed an escalation in attacks in the Rafah region over the course of Sunday and Monday. Meanwhile, numerous residents of Gaza are still making their way to Rafah, including those seeking refuge from intense clashes in Khan Younis.

Since the beginning of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the population of Rafah has grown by five times due to an increase in people fleeing to the area. This response was sparked by terrorist attacks led by Hamas in Israel, resulting in the death of approximately 1,200 people and the capture of over 250 as hostages.

Mr. Laerke emphasized the importance of preventing intensified hostilities in Rafah, as it could result in a significant number of civilian casualties. It is crucial that we take every measure possible to prevent this outcome.

Khan Younis evacuation

According to Tommaso Della Longa from the IFRC, there are reports of intense battles taking place in Khan Younis. He also stated that 8,000 people from Gaza, who were seeking refuge at Al Amal Hospital, left the premises on Monday after receiving assurance from Israeli authorities that they would be able to leave safely.

However, despite this progress, the conditions in Gaza are described as “extremely dire” and a “nightmare” by the spokesperson for the IFRC. He also expressed grief over the loss of Hedaya Hamad, an aid worker with the PRCS who was killed in a shelling attack at Al Amal Hospital compound last Friday.

Over the past two weeks or more, the hospital has been under constant bombardment and conflict, making it impossible to enter or exit. It has been hit multiple times, with the most recent incident resulting in the death of a colleague. Mr. Della Longa recounted the dire lack of medicine, food, and water, as well as the extremely difficult task of replenishing supplies and securing access for ambulances.

Nearly 100 individuals are currently staying at the struggling healthcare center, which includes employees, volunteers, and vulnerable patients with limited mobility who were unable to relocate.

The spokesperson for IFRC expressed concern about the potential closure of Al Amal in the near future. They mentioned a similar situation at another hospital, Al Quds, in Gaza City, which was officially closed by PCRS on November 12. The spokesperson acknowledged that if conditions do not improve, it will be challenging to maintain operations at the hospital.

Source: news.un.org