UN Human Rights Chief: No Safe Place In Gaza, How Many More Civilians Will Be Killed?

The impact of the Israeli attack on Gaza. (Wikimedia Commons/Palestinian News & Information Agency (Wafa) in contact with APAimages)

JAKARTA - Volker Turk's Head of Human Rights of the United Nations (UN) questioned how many more civilians would be killed in Gaza, as the death toll continues to grow, urging an immediate ceasefire in the name of humanity and human rights. Turk say the killing of civilians in Gaza schools and the massive evacuation of Al-Shifa Hospital is an act that goes against basic protection given to civilians under international law.

"International humanitarian law rules, including the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in carrying out attacks must be strictly adhered to," he said, launching CNN on November 20.

"Failure to comply with these rules may constitute a war crime," he said.

The Israeli military previously rejected allegations of war crimes, saying its attacks on what it calls Hamas targets, followed international law and attempted to minimize civilian casualties.

Turk further said that what happened in the last two days was very horrendous and said that this could not be trusted.

He said hundreds of people had left Al-Shifa Hospital and were seen heading south.

"There is no safe place in Gaza," he said.

Turk further explained that the IDF had distributed leaflets in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of Gazans were displaced, telling residents to go to undetermined shelters.

"Despite the warning, Israel is obliged to protect civilians wherever they are," Turk stressed.

Turk also again called for an immediate ceasefire on humanitarian grounds and human rights.

"The pain, fear, and fear that are reflected in the faces of children, women and men are too heavy to bear," he said.

"How many more violence, bloodshed and misery is needed before people become aware? How many more civilians will be killed? This must stop," he exclaimed.

Separately, media offices in Gaza said on Sunday the death toll in the region since October 7 had reached 13,000, including more than 5,500 children and 3,500 women, as quoted by Anadolu.

Meanwhile, the number of injured victims has exceeded 30,000, with more than 75 percent of them children and women, he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the government said the number of missing people reached 6,000, and most of them were thought to be lying under the rubble of collapsed buildings.