UN: Escalation in Gaza amounts to 'ethnic cleansing'

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned on Friday that the military escalation carried out by Israel in recent days in the Gaza Strip is “amounting to ethnic cleansing”.

“These latest bombardments, which force people to move amid the threat of intensified attacks, the methodical destruction of entire neighborhoods and the denial of humanitarian support underscore that there appears to be a push towards a permanent demographic transformation in Gaza, which is contrary to international law and amounts to ethnic cleansing,” Türk said in a statement released by the UN human rights agency.

The agency recalls the “sharp escalation of attacks and deaths this week in Gaza, including Israeli attacks on hospitals”, which are worsening an “already desperate humanitarian situation” — with “signs that it will get even worse”.

The attacks on hospitals are of particular concern to Türk, who points out that “hospitals are protected at all times and are even more indispensable during war”.

“The killing of patients or people visiting their loved ones who are injured or sick, or of health workers or other civilians seeking shelter is as tragic as it is abhorrent,” the Commissioner stressed. “These attacks must stop.”

For the UN human rights chief, “even if, as Israel claims, the target were Hamas’ underground command centers and even if destroying these structures offers a definite military advantage at the time of the attack, [Israel] is obliged by international law to ensure that every care is taken to spare civilian lives and, clearly, that is not being done”.

The UN says surveillance footage shows bombings taking place near hospitals where children, women and men were unaware of the threat looming over them. “Their presence was most likely known, given the constant aerial surveillance over the Gaza Strip, particularly over the areas that are bombed.”

The agency also recalls that even when hospitals are used for hostile acts outside their intended purpose, their protection under international law does not expire until the other party gives a deadline for their abusive use to cease — before any attack.