UN Warns Israel’s Attacks Could Amount to “War Crimes” as Gaza Death Toll Passes 9,000
HAVANA TIMES – Officials in Gaza say Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 195 Palestinians in the Jabaliya refugee camp since Tuesday. One hundred twenty Palestinians are reported missing and feared to be buried under rubble from three days of strikes which leveled entire blocks of residential buildings inside Gaza’s largest refugee camp. Earlier today, Israel bombed a school at the refugee camp run by UNRWA. The U.N. Human Rights Office said in a statement, “we have serious concerns that these are disproportionate attacks that could amount to war crimes.” One resident of Jabaliya, Abdel Kareem Rayan, said the Israeli airstrikes killed 15 members of his family.
Abdel Kareem Rayan: “I lost my whole family, 15 of them. They were innocent, just staying in the camp. What wrong did they do? All of them were killed, my sister’s house with her children, my brother’s house with his children, all of my siblings, no one left but me and my younger brother. Fifteen people, these are their names. They are innocent and kind. It’s literally a massacre.”
On Wednesday, Gaza’s only cancer treatment center, the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, was forced to close due to a lack of fuel. An Israeli airstrike damaged the hospital’s third floor earlier this week. The Indonesian Hospital reports it’s running on a backup generator with limited power. Egyptian ambulances have taken about 80 critically ill patients from Gaza through the Rafah border crossing. Hundreds of foreigners and dual nationals are also hoping to leave Gaza at Rafah. It’s expected thousands will be able to go out of the crossing in the next few days. Meanwhile, Israeli troops and tanks are pushing deeper into Gaza. Israel says 18 of its soldiers have died since it launched a ground invasion of Gaza on Friday. Health officials in Gaza say over 9,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s 27-day bombardment.