As Israeli bombardment escalates in the Gaza Strip, UN human rights expert Francesca Albanese has issued a stark warning, highlighting the looming threat of mass ethnic cleansing.
The situation in Gaza has deteriorated significantly. Israel’s offensive, initiated a week ago with the goal of eradicating Hamas, has resulted in 1,300 Israeli casualties, primarily civilians, and numerous hostages being taken by Hamas fighters. Israel has imposed a total blockade, cutting off food supplies and electricity while subjecting the region to intense air strikes. Consequently, shops are rapidly depleting their inventories.
According to the Palestinian territory’s Hamas-controlled health ministry, Israeli strikes in the past week have claimed the lives of at least 2,215 people, including 724 children. Among the casualties, 458 were women. Additionally, 8,714 people have been injured, with at least 324 fatalities in the past 24 hours alone.
Gaza is facing a dire humanitarian crisis. Bakeries are running out of bread, drinking water is scarce, and power outages are leaving families in the dark, making it challenging to find and communicate with fleeing relatives. Thousands have fled the northern Gaza Strip in anticipation of an Israeli ground assault, as Israel continues its air strikes in the area.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Palestine, Francesca Albanese, urged the international community to mediate an immediate ceasefire between the parties to prevent an irreversible catastrophe. She emphasized the responsibility of the United Nations and its member states to protect populations from atrocity crimes and called for accountability for international crimes committed by Israeli occupation forces and Hamas.
Albanese expressed grave concern that the current situation could lead to a mass ethnic cleansing event comparable to the Nakba in 1948 and the Naksa in 1967, but on a larger scale. She stressed the urgency of halting these egregious violations of international law to avoid tragic history repeating itself.
As Israel’s military escalates its operations, the international community is called upon to play a responsible role and find a political solution to end the violence. The situation remains highly volatile, with regional tensions on the rise.