Gaza level of destruction 'shocking' amid evacuation warning: UN spox
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The UN spokesperson reiterates the demand to "respect international humanitarian law,"
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Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (AP)
United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters that “the level of fighting and destruction that we are seeing in recent days as cease-fire talks are ongoing is truly shocking" in Gaza.
Dujarric revealed that the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs had sent out warnings against "Israel's" new evacuation order for the people of Gaza, saying that displacement should stop, civilians must be protected, and their needs must be met.
He further urged to "respect international humanitarian law," as he provided updates from the humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, Muhannad Hadi.
Read next: Debris from destruction adds to health crisis in Gaza: UN
Dujarric cited Hadi as saying that aid deliveries "fall far short of the needs in Gaza" despite their efforts, adding that Hadi, who was in Gaza on Wednesday for the third time, reported to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about the disruption of public order and security.
He noted that Hadi witnessed groups of men waiting for trucks to cross the Karem Abu Salem crossing into Gaza, but all the trucks were damaged, with broken windshields, mirrors, and hoods. He further saw bags of flour from the World Food Program and UNRWA scattered on the ground.
This comes amid repeated Israeli settlers' attacks on aid convoys.
Just two days ago, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a press conference that half of UNRWA's headquarters in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed due to "Israel's" ongoing genocide.
The Israeli war on Gaza, which has now exceeded nine months, has devastated buildings and infrastructure throughout the Gaza Strip, resulting in over 39 million tons of debris and worsening an already critical health crisis, according to a preliminary United Nations assessment of the environmental impact of the conflict released back in June.
The UN Environmental Program found that the millions of tons of rubble in the Strip contained unexploded ordnance, asbestos, and other hazardous substances, as well as human remains.
The UN agency also found that the war has disrupted "almost all" environmental management systems and services, creating new hazards. It reported that all water sources in Gaza have been affected, along with wastewater treatment and disposal facilities.
