U.N. agencies are calling on Israel to lift its siege of Gaza, warning that the denial of lifesaving assistance is prohibited under international humanitarian law.
"Goods that are vital for the survival of a civilian population must not be restricted," said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, at a news briefing for reporters Tuesday in Geneva.
"Civilians must be allowed to leave besieged areas if they wish to do so. Any restriction must be justified by a military necessity or may amount to collective punishment," she added. "This is clearly prohibited under international humanitarian law, and it could amount to a war crime."
In its latest update of the ongoing conflict, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, reported that Israeli airstrikes continued to pound Gaza on Tuesday morning, while rockets were being launched from Gaza into Israel adding to the deadly toll on both sides of the border.
As of Monday night, Israel reports indicated that more than 900 Israelis, including foreign nationals, have been killed and the Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 687 Palestinians have been killed.
OCHA reports that nearly 200,000 in the Gaza Strip have been displaced from their homes, with most people taking shelter in UNRWA schools.
OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke noted that Israeli authorities have ceased supplying electricity to the Gaza Strip and that the Gaza Power Plant, now the only source of power in the territory, "could run out of fuel within days."
Laerke also noted that Israel has cut off the water supply, affecting more than 610,000 people in Gaza.
"This is a crisis still developing," he said. "Every hour without electricity, without power, every hour without access to clean water raises any number of concerns for people's health and for the ability of those responding."
The World Health Organization has confirmed 13 attacks on health care facilities or workers in the Gaza Strip since Saturday, resulting in six health care workers being killed and four wounded.
"The pre-positioned supplies, which were in seven major hospitals in the Gaza Strip, have now been used up," said Tarik Jasarevic, WHO spokesperson. "WHO is reprogramming $1 million to procure more urgently needed medical supplies from the local market to support the treatment of up to 500 severely injured people."
"A humanitarian corridor is needed to reach people with critical supplies," he said, adding that "WHO is working on this with partner agencies."
Tamara Alrifai, director of communications for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, said the Israeli airstrikes have caused significant damage.
Speaking from the Jordanian capital, Amman, she said since the airstrikes began "18 of our facilities, including a school for the visually impaired, have been damaged as well as our headquarters in Gaza city."
She said some 80 UNRWA schools are housing "more than 137,000 residents of Gaza who left their homes in fear of their homes being attacked or destroyed. This huge displacement outweighs our ability to absorb them adequately." Some 2.2 million people live in the Gaza Strip; 1.7 million of them are Palestinian refugees who receive UNRWA services, such as health care, education, and food.
UNICEF has called for an immediate end to hostilities, noting that hundreds of Israeli and Palestinian children have been killed and many more injured in the last 72 hours.
"Hundreds of thousands of children are affected by the escalation of hostilities in Gaza and are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance and protection," said James Elder, UNICEF spokesperson.
"In addition, there are reports of the abduction of Israeli children to the Gaza Strip," he said. "The abduction of children by any party to the conflict constitutes a grave violation and hostage-taking is prohibited by international humanitarian law in all circumstances. UNICEF calls for the immediate and safe release of all hostages."
In the meantime, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk issued an urgent plea Tuesday to all states with influence to take steps to defuse the "powder keg" situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
He said he was "deeply shocked and appalled by allegations of summary executions of civilians and, in some instances, horrifying mass killings by members of Palestinian armed groups."
He expressed horror at images of those captured by Palestinian armed groups being ill-treated, as well as reports of killings and the desecration of their bodies.
"Civilians must never be used as bargaining chips," he said. "I call on Palestinian armed groups to immediately and unconditionally release all civilians who were captured and are still being held.
"The taking of hostages is prohibited by international law," Türk added.
