United Nations Secretary-Normal Antonio Guterres says the variety of civilians killed within the Gaza Strip exhibits that there’s something “clearly flawed” with Israel’s navy operations in opposition to Hamas Palestinian militants.
Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas, which guidelines the Gaza Strip, after the militants killed 1400 folks and took greater than 240 hostages in an October 7 assault.
“There are violations by Hamas once they have human shields. However when one seems on the variety of civilians that have been killed with the navy operations, there’s something that’s clearly flawed,” Guterres stated.
A Palestinian man carries his belongings whereas fleeing the Naser neighbourhood following an Israeli airstrike on Gaza Metropolis this week.Credit score: AP
Palestinian officers stated 10,569 folks have now been killed in Gaza, 40 per cent of them youngsters.
Whereas strongly condemning the Hamas assault on Israel, Guterres stated that “we have to distinguish – Hamas is one factor; the Palestinian folks, one other.”
“If we don’t make that distinction, I feel it’s humanity itself that can lose its which means,” Guterres stated.
Guterres in contrast the variety of youngsters being killed in Gaza with the toll in conflicts all over the world that he reviews on yearly to the UN Safety Council. On Monday, he stated Gaza was changing into “a graveyard for youngsters”.
Palestinians evacuate households from their properties after an Israeli airstrike in Jabalia refugee camp on Sunday.Credit score: AP
“Yearly, the very best variety of killings of youngsters by any of the actors in all of the conflicts that we witness is the utmost within the lots of,” Guterres stated.
“Now we have, in a number of days in Gaza, hundreds and hundreds of youngsters killed, which suggests there’s additionally one thing clearly flawed in the way in which navy operations are being completed,” he added.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan rejected Guterres’ remarks and stated that the loss of life toll given by the well being ministry in Gaza couldn’t be trusted. He stated Israel was working to restrict civilian casualties, citing an evacuation hall, whereas Hamas targets civilians.
“Would the secretary-general dare say that for the reason that variety of German civilian casualties throughout World Warfare II was larger than American or British civilian casualties, it meant that one thing was ‘flawed’ with the US and UK navy operations when preventing a genocidal regime?” he stated.
Reuters