UN raises alarm as Israel keeps killing mostly women, children in Gaza

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The United Nations has warned that the cumulative effect of Israel’s actions in Gaza is threatening “the future viability of Palestinians as a group”, as the most recent predawn strike killed at least 10 people, including seven children.

Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, highlighted on Apr 11 “the death, the destruction, the displacement, the denial of access to basic necessities within Gaza and the repeated suggestion that Gazans should leave the territory entirely”.

Shamdasani pointed in particular to the dire effect of Israel’s ongoing air attacks on civilians, lamenting that “a large percentage of fatalities are children and women.”

She told reporters that Israel had launched about 224 raids on residential buildings and tents housing displaced people between Mar 18 and Apr 9.

“In some 36 strikes about which the UN Human Rights Office corroborated information, the fatalities recorded so far were only women and children,” she said.

Shamdasani cited an April 6 strike on a residential building in Deir el-Balah belonging to the Abu Issa family, which reportedly killed one girl, four women and a four-year-old boy.