The United Nations Office for Human Rights: The continued killing of the Palestinians while searching for food in Gaza

This comes despite the announcement of the Israeli army on July 27, that a “temporary stop of military operations” in the western regions of Gaza City to Al -Mansiyah and within specific hours “to improve the humanitarian response,” according to the UN office said in a statement today, Friday.

The Human Rights Office referred to reports that 105 Palestinians were killed and at least 680 others were wounded along the caravan routes in the Zikim area north of Gaza, and the Maraj area south of Khan Yunis, during the 30 and 31 July.

Thus, the number of Palestinians who were killed while searching for food since May 27, at least 1,373 people, including 859, were killed in the vicinity of the “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” and 514 along the aid convoys routes.

The Human Rights Office explained that the vast majority of the dead were killed by the Israeli forces, noting that, despite his knowledge of the presence of other armed elements in the region, he does not have any information indicating its involvement in these killings.

The Human Rights Office confirmed that “These victims – the majority of them are men and boys – are not just numbers. The office does not have any information indicating that these Palestinians had participated directly in hostilities or pose a threat to Israeli forces or any other party. Every person was killed or injured was struggling for the sake of staying, not only for himself, but for the sake of his family and those who support them.”

“The increased deaths due to starvation”

At the same time, the Human Rights Office indicated that the number of Palestinians – including children, the elderly, people with disabilities, patients and injured – who die as a result of malnutrition and famine, increases, as these people often lack any support and cannot access sites where small amounts of aid may be available.

The Human Rights Office explained that “this is a humanitarian catastrophe. As a direct result of the policies imposed by Israel, it led to a sharp reduction in the quantities of life -saving aid in Gaza.”

“Stage as a means of war”

The Human Rights Office confirmed that “Directing intentional attacks against civilians who are directly involved in hostilities, and the use of starvation as a means of war by depriving civilians of the elements necessary to survive, including obstructing relief arrival, form war crimes. If committed as part of a large -scale or systematic attack against the civilian population, it has also been promoted to crimes against humanity.”

The Human Rights Office said that “the cumulative impact of these incidents and restrictions on the arrival of humanitarian aid and Israeli military behavior in Gaza indicates that Israel imposes on the Palestinians in the sector a life conditions that do not correspond to and do not enable them to stay as a group.”

An invitation to an urgent and independent investigation

The Human Rights Office stressed the need to investigate every killing of these operations, urgently and independently, and those responsible must be held accountable. “Immediate measures should be taken to prevent their recurrence.”

The office pointed out that Israel – as the occupying force – bears responsibility for ensuring the provision of all forms of life -saving aid to the Palestinians in Gaza and facilitating conditions that enable humanitarian agencies to move safe and free to distribute aid.

The UN Office called on countries to “use all available means to stop these violations of international law and fulfill their legal and moral obligations to prevent the killing of more civilians.”