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The UN Human Rights Office in Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) condemns the Israeli military’s continuing strikes on shelters for Palestinians in Gaza over the last week – including a fourfold increase in strikes on residential buildings. These attacks have killed hundreds of civilians, injured scores of others, displaced thousands and indicate a disregard for the principles of distinction and proportionality required by international humanitarian law.
Of 629 Palestinians reportedly killed in the last week, at least 358 of them, including at least 148 children and women, were reportedly killed as a result of attacks targeting houses and IDP tents. Many more were injured or trapped under the rubble. The high number of strikes on shelters, in the context of the existing destruction of infrastructure in Gaza, raises grave concerns that not all strikes were targeting military objectives.
In addition, 9 Palestinian journalists were killed – making this past week one of the deadliest for journalists since 7 October 2023. They have a deep sense of duty to their work, but they, too, are displaced, tired and hungry like the rest of the population of Gaza. However, it appears that in many instances, these journalists may have been deliberately targeted with the intention of limiting the flow of information on what is happening in Gaza and the scale of the impact that this war is having on civilians.
It is imperative that international journalists be allowed to enter Gaza and their safety ensured, in order to report freely on what is happening on the ground and to promote accountability.
ENDS
For more information and media requests, please contact: ohchr-opt-media@un.org
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