Thomas White, the Director of affairs in Gaza for the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has decried the dire situation in Khan Younis.
In a statement published on the UNRWA website, White stated that persistent attacks on civilian sites in Khan Younis are utterly unacceptable and must stop immediately, adding that people are being killed and injured.
“As fighting intensifies around hospitals and shelters hosting the displaced, people are trapped inside and lifesaving operations are impeded,” he noted.
As fighting intensified over the recent days in the area, White disclosed that 12 people had been confirmed dead and 75 people had been injured, 15 of whom are in a critical condition.
The UNRWA training centre, which was hosting thousands of people was hit yesterday by two shells and caught fire, he said.
A number of missions to assess the situation were denied, added White, describing how on Wednesday evening the UN finally managed to reach the affected areas to treat trauma patients, bring medical supplies and evacuate injured patients to Rafah.
“The situation in Khan Younis underscores a consistent failure to uphold the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law: distinction, proportionality and precautions in carrying out attacks. This is unacceptable and abhorrent and must stop.”
Thomas White
He asserted that every measure must be taken to protect civilians.
“I remind all parties that protection of hospitals, clinics, medical personnel and UN premises is explicitly enshrined within international law,” he stressed.
Currently, Nasser Hospital, also known as the Nasser Medical Complex, in besieged Khan Younis has run out of food, anaesthetics and painkillers.
“The health and humanitarian situation in the hospital is extremely catastrophic because of the siege by Israeli occupation forces,” the Health Ministry said.
The Israeli army has encircled the Nasser and al-Amal hospitals in southern Gaza amid fears of a repeat of what it did at al-Shifa in northern Gaza City.
Israeli Forces Attack Aid-seekers
Also on Thursday, the Spokesman for Gaza’s Health Ministry announced that an attack has been carried out on civilians who queued for humanitarian relief in war-ravaged northern Gaza City.
“The Israeli occupation committed a new massacre against thousands of hungry mouths who were waiting for aid,” Ashraf al-Qudra said in a statement on Telegram.
The attack occurred at the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City, killing at least 20 and wounding 150 others, he said.
The number of dead is likely to rise because dozens suffered serious injuries.
The victims are being treated at al-Shifa Hospital, which is out of medical supplies and only has a few doctors working, al-Qudra said.
Meanwhile, Israel’s military stated that it is looking into the allegations that its forces opened fire on crowds of Palestinians waiting for aid in northern Gaza City.
Israeli troops and tanks pushed into Gaza City shortly after the ground invasion began in October and have battled Palestinian fighters there for more than two months.
The military has claimed that it largely defeated Hamas in north but it still faces deadly attacks.
Northern Gaza has been cut off from humanitarian aid, even as tens of thousands of people have remained there.
