As Israel seems ready to start a significant attack in the beleaguered enclave, the number of Palestinian deaths in Gaza has increased to at least 140 in the past 24 hours.
Palestinian health authorities said that since Thursday, Israeli strikes in Gaza had killed over 300 Palestinians, making it one of the worst times in the conflict since truce negotiations collapsed in March. Israel’s complete embargo of humanitarian supplies has raised concerns about a famine in Palestinian territory, which coincided with the escalating bombing attacks.
Why is the UN accusing Israel of ethnic cleansing?
The situation has grown “desperate,” according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who have appealed for the immediate admission of humanitarian supplies into Gaza. Seven European countries have called on Israel to stop its ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people and release its siege of the Strip.
Israeli assaults and civilian fatalities, including hospital strikes, have sharply increased in recent days, according to UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk, who spoke on Friday. He emphasized that an already dire humanitarian situation is being made worse by the stepped-up military attack and called on the international community to take quick action to stop more fatalities.
Israel’s ongoing embargo of Gaza is causing famine to worsen, Türk said. He declared, “We have to put an end to this madness.” He rejected alternate relief distribution plans supported by the US, pointing out that the UN already has a workable strategy and 160,000 aid units prepared for deployment.
The UN already has a viable plan and the infrastructure in place to start rapid delivery, he said, adding that other plans for assistance distribution, especially those supported by the US and Israel, were needless and a waste of time. Additionally, Türk cited widespread devastation, mass evictions, and the blocking of humanitarian supplies as evidence of a concerted attempt to permanently change Gaza’s population—actions he claimed amounted to ethnic cleansing and were illegal under international law.
How are European nations responding to Gaza’s siege?
In a joint statement that same day, the presidents of seven European nations—Spain, Ireland, Norway, Iceland, Slovenia, Malta, and Luxembourg—urged Israel to hold sincere talks to end the conflict and end its siege of Gaza.
Any efforts for demographic engineering or forcible relocation in the Strip were denounced by them. “We shall not remain silent in the face of the humanitarian crisis caused by human activity that is unfolding in Gaza right in front of our eyes. “Over fifty thousand men, women, and children have died,” the statement said. The leaders urged Israel to stop its military activities and change its present policies, warning that many more people might starve to death in the days ahead if nothing is done.
