In an X post marking 75 years of the Geneva Conventions, UNRWA Commissioner General, Philippe Lazzarini stated that the rules “we all agree on” have been “blatantly broken” for the past 10 months.
“75 years ago today, the Geneva Conventions were put in place to protect civilians in times of wars,” he said.
He noted that they are the universal “Rules of War” meant to limit the devastating impact of wars and conflicts on humanity.
“In the past 10 months, these rules have been blatantly broken day in, day out in Gaza by the Israeli Forces as well as the Palestinian armed groups including Hamas.
“More concerning, Member States – party to the Geneva Conventions – have failed in their responsibilities to respect the conventions and ensure that parties to the conflict respect them under all circumstances.”
Philippe Lazzarini
He added that the “shared values enshrined in the Conventions are at stake as is our shared humanity.”
“The basics still apply: Civilians, women, children, detainees must be protected. Schools, hospitals, people’s homes, humanitarian + UN staff, facilities & operations must be protected,” he posted.
According Gaza’s Health Ministry, 39,897 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2024.
The ministry also said that 92,152 others have been wounded in 10 months of war.
Figures from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics show Israeli forces have killed 1.8 percent of the Gaza Strip’s population since October 7, with 75 percent of the victims under the age of 30.
The Government Media Office in Gaza released a toll stating that out of the 39,897 people killed, 16,456 of them were children and 11,088 were women.
It also said that at least 885 medical staff, 168 journalists and 79 civil defence members have been killed in the Israeli strikes.
Ongoing mass evacuation is causing a great deal of difficult living conditions as people are pushed into a smaller area after the Israeli military cut off part of the humanitarian zone and included it in the red zone.
The Hamad residential complex, that is in the western part of Khan Younis, which used to be part of the humanitarian zones, was designated in the past months as an area for people to shelter in But not any more.
This has shrunk the humanitarian zones in the western part of Khan Younis city and other areas, just causing further difficult living conditions in an area already overcrowded and running out of space.
People don’t have basic necessities or basic supplies to cope and sustain their lives in these unusually difficult living conditions.
Israel Claims 31 Hamas, PIJ Members Killed In School Attack
Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced that it killed dozens of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) fighters during a strike on al-Tabin School in Gaza City on Saturday, August 10, 2024.
Immediately after the attack, the army had said 19 operatives of the Palestinian groups were killed in what it described as a command room for the two groups.
The army has now released the names of 12 more alleged fighters who were killed in the attack.
The Palestinian Civil Defence in Gaza said that more than 100 displaced Palestinians sheltering in the school were killed and dozens more injured in one of the worst attacks in the 10-month war.
Officials disclosed that medics have identified 75 bodies of the 93 Palestinians killed in the weekend attack by Israel.
“There are 93 dead in the al-Tabin school strike. Seventy-five of them have been identified,” Gaza Civil Defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told a news agency.
“The others have not yet been identified because some bodies are torn and charred by the bombardment,” Bassal added.
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