U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk on Monday urged governments around the world to respond urgently to the deepening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
“Everyone in government needs to wake up to what is happening in Gaza. All those with influence must exert maximum pressure on Israel and Hamas, to put an end to this unbearable suffering,” Türk said at the opening of the U.N. Human Rights Council session in Geneva on Monday.
He said that a lasting peace is only possible through a two-state solution, with Gaza forming part of a future Palestinian state.
Türk delivered sharp criticism of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, saying its “means and methods of warfare are inflicting horrifying, unconscionable suffering on Palestinians.”
He condemned what he described as “disturbing, dehumanizing rhetoric” by Israeli officials and criticized the ongoing blockade of U.N. humanitarian aid deliveries, which has been in place since March.
He also called for an investigation into deaths linked to food distribution efforts coordinated through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial initiative backed by Israel and the U.S.
Civilians are often forced to walk miles through active conflict zones to reach the limited number of GHF aid centres. Dozens have been killed in the process.
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