UN human rights chief decries killings of women, children in Rafah

The UN’s Human Rights chief has strongly condemned recent Israeli strikes in Rafah that resulted in the deaths of many women and children, reliefweb reported yesterday.

In a statement on Tuesday, Volker Turk also warned against a full-scale incursion into an area with over 1.2 million civilians, saying it would violate international humanitarian and human rights law, likely leading to more atrocities.

Turk also underscored the need for global solidarity to protect civilians in Rafah, recalling recent tragedies such as a premature baby delivered from a mother who had been mortally wounded in an air strike and the deaths of numerous children and women in separate strikes.

The UN human rights chief called for immediate actions to halt this suffering, calling for independent investigations into reports of mass graves and the destruction of medical facilities.

He stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire, the release of hostages and unimpeded humanitarian aid.

The Israel-Hamas war has killed over 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, devastated Gaza’s two largest cities and destroyed the infrastructure, including medical centers.