The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned on Friday of potential ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip due to an escalation of Israeli attacks on the area.
“The latest barrage of bombs [..] and the denial of humanitarian assistance underline that there appears to be a push for a permanent demographic shift in Gaza that is in defiance of international law and is tantamount to ethnic cleansing,” Türk said in a press release.
This week’s escalation of Israeli attacks, including strikes on hospitals, exacerbates the “already desperate” humanitarian situation and suggests that conditions may deteriorate further, he warned.
The UN High Commissioner fears that the recent violence could be just the beginning of a “much larger” Israeli offensive.
Hospitals are protected at all times and are even more crucial during wartime, Türk stated, calling on Israel to halt its attacks on them.
