The UN condemns killings in Gaza as violence continues despite a fragile ceasefire, with the United Nations saying Palestinians remain unsafe amid daily attacks and severe humanitarian strain. The latest statement from UN human rights chief Volker Turk warns that civilian deaths, injuries and restrictions on aid are continuing even months after the ceasefire began.
Israeli forces killed at least 32 Palestinians in April alone. Turk said the pattern of violence showed continued disregard for Palestinian lives and urged the international community to move beyond words.
Volker Turk said Gazans remain unsafe, with Palestinians reportedly killed and injured in homes, shelters, tents, streets, vehicles, a medical facility and a classroom. He said even movement has become life-threatening, with reports nearly every day of people being killed while walking, driving or standing outside
He also cited the killing of a contractor working for the World Health Organisation and the death of an Al Jazeera journalist. Turk said the toll on journalists and humanitarian personnel was unprecedented and had made reporting and aid work increasingly dangerous.
Although a ceasefire began in Gaza on October 10, violence in the territory has continued. Turk said the ongoing killings were difficult to reconcile with the existence of a ceasefire. He cited health ministry figures showing that more than 700 Palestinians have died and more than 2,000 have suffered injuries over the past six months. He argued that those figures show civilians still have no real safety or protection.
Turk said persistent Israeli restrictions on aid deliveries, along with the destruction of civilian infrastructure, have worsened suffering in Gaza. He also referred to rising violence by Palestinian armed actors whom the Israeli military reportedly backs. Together, he said, those factors have deepened the humanitarian crisis and left Palestinians with few safe options for survival.
UN calls for accountability and action
The UN human rights chief said the international community must take meaningful action to end ongoing violations of international law, ensure accountability for crimes committed by all parties, and support the recovery and rebuilding of Palestinian homes and communities.
The 2023 Hamas attack on Israel killed 1,221 people. Since then, Israel’s offensive has killed at least 72,000 people, according to Gaza’s health ministry, whose figures the UN considers reliable. For the UN, the scale of the loss now demands more than condemnation alone.
