Palestinian officials say Israeli forces killed 274 people during the operation to rescue four captives held in Gaza.
The United Nations human rights office says war crimes may have been committed by both Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups during an Israeli raid on Nuseirat in central Gaza, the last week.
At least 274 people were killed in Saturday’s raid, according to Palestinian health officials, as Israeli forces rescued four captives held in Gaza for more than eight months.
This rare daylight raid was carried out by heavily armed Israeli special forces, with air support.
More than 600 people were injured in the raid, including children and women, according to Palestinian officials. The influx of patients since the raid has overwhelmed the enclave’s hospitals, which were already operating with limited supplies of medicine, food and fuel.
Jeremy Laurence, a spokesman for the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, said Tuesday that the office was “deeply shocked” by the impact of the Israeli attack on civilians.
“The manner in which the raid was carried out in such a densely populated area seriously calls into question the respect of the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution – as set out in the laws of war – by Israeli forces,” he said. he declared in a press release. statement.
“Our Office is also deeply distressed by the fact that Palestinian armed groups continue to hold numerous hostages, most of them civilians, which is prohibited by international humanitarian law. Furthermore, by holding hostages in such densely populated areas, armed groups put the lives of Palestinian civilians, as well as those of the hostages themselves, in additional danger from the hostilities.
The Israeli mission to the UN in Geneva said Turk had “finally realized that Hamas is using Palestinians as human shields.”
“Yet instead of taking a clear and consistent position against this heinous strategy, he makes a habit of slandering Israel. This time, for saving our hostages,” he said.
“Those who continue to protect Hamas terrorists, including OHCHR (Turkish office), are complicit in the suffering of Palestinians and Israelis,” he said.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas.
Laurence said Turk welcomed the U.N. Security Council resolution passed Monday to approve a U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal and said all parties must ensure “the flow unhindered humanitarian aid.
Hamas said in a statement on Tuesday that it supported the UN resolution and was ready to cooperate with mediators to begin more indirect negotiations on its implementation.
This is the second ceasefire resolution adopted by the Security Council, which also voted in March in favor of a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, but it did not not been applied.
At least 37,164 people have been killed and 84,832 injured since the war began on October 7, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza.