People are being killed and injured: UNRWA Director in Gaza
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UNRWA Director in Gaza, Thomas White, strongly condemns the sustained Israeli attacks on civilian areas, and "Israel's" denial of aid from entering the Strip.
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Palestinians gather around the bodies of their family members who were killed in the Israeli ground offensive and bombardment of Khan Younis, outside a morgue in nearby Rafah, in southern Gaza, on January 24. (AP)
UNRWA Director in Gaza Thomas White conveyed in a statement that the continuous Israeli assaults on civilian locations in Khan Younis are completely unacceptable and need to cease without delay.
"People are being killed and injured," he tersely stated.
The escalation of Israeli hostilities in proximity to hospitals and shelters for the forcibly displaced Palestinians is causing individuals to be trapped inside, hindering crucial life-saving operations, he added.
White further explains, "As fighting intensified over the past days in the area of our training center, hosting thousands of people, twelve people have now been confirmed dead with over 75 injuries, 15 of whom are in critical condition. Yesterday, the center was hit by two shells and caught fire."
A Palestinian mother refuses to leave the body of her slain son and carries him on her shoulder to escape Israeli bombing in Khan Younis to Rafah. pic.twitter.com/S1Me6WCJWU
— Kuffiya (@Kuffiyateam) January 25, 2024
Elsewhere in his remarks, White revealed that the United Nations successfully gained access to the impacted areas last night, further elaborating that "Israel" has denied several previous attempts to assess the situation in Gaza.
The mission aimed to provide treatment for trauma patients, deliver medical supplies, and evacuate injured individuals to Rafah, as per White.
Khan Younis crisis exposes ongoing violations of humanitarian law
The UNRWA Director in Gaza also reported intense confrontations in close proximity to the last-standing hospitals in Khan Younis, such as Nasser and al-Amal, have resulted in the effective encirclement of these facilities. This situation has left fearful staff members, patients, and forcibly displaced individuals confined within, he added.
🚨🚨⚡🇵🇸 "We will not leave the hospital!"
— Fahad_ Heaven™ (The Wise) 🇵🇸 (@Fahad_Heaven) January 25, 2024
My Homeland..
Message from Pal*stinian doctors at the Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis, in the south of the Strip in the face of Isr**li attacks. pic.twitter.com/0lmKIED3xr
Al-Khair Hospital ceased operations after evacuating patients, including women who had recently undergone C-section surgeries, during the nighttime, as per White.
"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," he added.
UNRWA Director in Gaza concluded his statement by emphasizing the need for all possible actions to be implemented to safeguard civilians. It is crucial to reiterate that international law explicitly includes provisions for the protection of hospitals, clinics, medical personnel, and UN facilities, he noted.
These remarks come as the Israeli aggression on Gaza enters its 111th day, and the occupation is intensifying its targeting of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli airstrikes in the area specifically targeted the Nasser Medical Complex, the vicinity of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, UNRWA centers, the area around a school housing displaced people in the Emirati neighborhood, and the al-Amal neighborhood. These attacks resulted in the tragic loss of more than 50 Palestinians.
On the 110th day of Israeli aggression on Gaza, the Israeli occupation committed 24 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip in 24 hours, killing 210 and injuring 386 others, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed to 25,700 and the injured to 63,740.
Read next: ICJ says to rule on 'Israel' Gaza genocide case on Friday
