UN Special Rapporteur decries Israeli massacre in Northern Gaza
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The UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories has reported that Israeli forces are currently engaged in a massacre, particularly in Jabalia, where civilians are being killed.
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Palestinians inspect the damage of a school hit by an Israeli bombardment on Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on October 10, 2024. (AP)
Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, expressed grave concern in a post on X, stating that Israeli forces are currently carrying out a massacre in northern Gaza.
She highlighted the situation in Jabalia, where individuals are being killed both in groups and individually amid horrific acts of cruelty and violence.
As we speak, write, tweet, sob: Israeli forces are committing another massacre in northern Gaza. People in Jabalyia are killed - both in groups, and one by one - amid unspeakable cruelty and sadism. By Israelis who have accepted to be "willing executioners" of a genocidal plan.… https://t.co/2tnGjEovxv
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) October 13, 2024
Albanese condemned the actions of Israeli forces, describing them as "willing executioners" of what she termed a genocidal plan, executed with weapons manufactured in the West and supported by Western powers.
She expressed disbelief that, despite widespread awareness of Israeli actions, there has been a collective inability to intervene. Reflecting on historical context, she noted that comparing the current situation to 100 years ago reveals little progress in addressing these ongoing atrocities.
Starvation and bombardment fueling a humanitarian catastrophe
The Israeli entity has initiated a full-scale campaign of extermination and ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza, resulting in thousands of residents, including doctors, being forced to be displaced.
Gaza-based doctor Ezzideen Shehab described the situation as a “real genocide” in a post on X, noting that the Israeli forces are compelling people to leave the area.
“Today, the Israeli army forced us to flee for the third time from our previous place of refuge, threatening an area where more than 60,000 people live,” he tweeted on Saturday.
What is happening in northern Gaza is a real genocide. Today, the Israeli army forced us to flee for the third time from our previous place of refuge, threatening an area where more than 60,000 people live.
— Dr. Ezzideen (@ezzingaza) October 12, 2024
We fled in a heart-wrenching scene. People are walking through the… pic.twitter.com/8hZ7sO9QbG
“We fled in a heart-wrenching scene. People are walking through the streets, not knowing where to go… walking as if they are heading to the gallows, fear gripping them,” he added.
Since the beginning of the month, no food has entered northern Gaza as the Israeli regime continues to use starvation as a weapon against the Palestinian population to drive them away.
Journalists on the ground in northern Gaza, particularly in Jabalia, have reported the approach of Israeli tanks into civilian areas, intensified artillery shelling, and the presence of quadcopters monitoring the movements of people as they desperately seek shelter.
He stated that people in northern Gaza are experiencing an “organized genocide, witnessed by governments around the world, live in front of everyone,” and he pledged to continue providing updates from the region.
“Don’t stop talking about us, don’t stop sharing—because we are being wiped out,” he urged.
Currently, approximately 400,000 individuals remain trapped in the Jabalia camp in northern Gaza, facing relentless attacks that have resulted in hundreds of casualties in recent days.
"Nobody is allowed to get in or out; anyone who tries is getting shot," wrote Sarah Vuylsteke, project coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières, on X on Friday.
UPDATE from northern Gaza: Thousands of people are trapped in Jabalia camp, as Israeli forces attack the area.
— Doctors w/o Borders (@MSF_USA) October 11, 2024
“Nobody is allowed to get in or out, anyone who tries is getting shot,” says Sarah Vuylsteke, MSF project coordinator. Five MSF staff are trapped in the camp, fearing… pic.twitter.com/1K1yd4tCp8
In a show of defiance and resilience, many residents of Jabalia have taken to social media in recent days, asserting their determination to remain. "We will not leave, we die, and we don't leave," they declared.
