Israel-Palestine: UN chief condemns killing of civilians as deadly Gaza violence escalates
In a statement released by his spokesman, António Guterres said he condemned the civilian loss of life, which occurred during the Israeli air strikes on Tuesday aimed at the Islamic Jihad militant group, three of the leaders they kill
In total, 13 Palestinians were killed during the early morning attacks on Tuesday, including five women and four children.
The killing of civilians must end
Mr Guterres said the death of women and children “is unacceptable and must be stopped immediately”, the statement continued.
“Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian lawincluding the use of force and handle all possible precautions to save citizens and civilian objects in the conduct of military operations.”
According to news reports, in response to Tuesday’s attacks, Palestinian fighters in the Gaza Strip, which is in Israeli territory, have fired more than 460 rockets, while Israel has attacked more than 130 targets in Gaza.
Local medical authorities reported that six people died on Wednesday, with more than 40 injured.
Some Israelis were said to have been injured while running to seek shelter from the rockets, but most were shot in or fell on open ground.
Complete the rocket-fire neglect
In his statement, the Secretary General also identified “the ignoring the launch of rockets from Gaza into Israel, which violates international humanitarian law and endangering both Palestinians and Israelis.”
Mr. Guterres urged all parties to the new upsurge in violence to “do their utmost” and work toward an immediate end to the conflict.
“Him reiterated its commitment to support the Palestinians and Israelis to resolve the conflict on the basis of relevant United Nations resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements.”
