UN report highlights Gaza destruction amid rising death toll and aid crisis

UN report highlights Gaza destruction amid rising death toll and aid crisis
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A recent report by the Commission of Inquiry has detailed extensive destruction of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, including educational, religious, and cultural sites, describing these acts as war crimes and crimes against humanity. The report calls for urgent international action to halt ongoing violence and hold those responsible accountable.

Since the conflict began in October 2023, initiated by Israel following escalations with Hamas, the situation in Gaza has severely deteriorated, with the Commission and multiple UN bodies repeatedly urging an end to unlawful killings, starvation, and widespread destruction.

Despite international calls, Israeli authorities have continued and intensified operations in Gaza. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued provisional measures demanding Israel prevent genocide against Palestinians, warning that states party to the Genocide Convention risk legal consequences for failing to intervene. Some countries have responded by reviewing bilateral agreements, imposing sanctions on Israeli officials, and pressuring Israel to ease its blockade, which lasted over 11 weeks.

In the past 24 hours alone, Gaza’s health ministry reported at least 140 Palestinians killed due to Israeli airstrikes and gunfire, including civilians seeking humanitarian aid. Attacks targeted homes in refugee camps and urban areas such as Maghazi, Zeitoun, Gaza City, and Khan Younis. Israeli military officials described some areas as active combat zones and denied knowledge of injuries from warning shots fired near aid trucks.

Since aid routes partially reopened in late May, nearly 400 Palestinians have died and over 3,000 were injured while seeking food. The United Nations and humanitarian agencies, including the World Food Programme, have condemned the insufficient and unsafe aid distribution system, warning that current food supplies meet only a fraction of the urgent needs.

The ongoing conflict continues to displace Gaza’s population and impose severe humanitarian strain. While Israel asserts its operations target Hamas militants and minimize civilian harm, Hamas accuses Israel of weaponizing hunger. Nearly 55,600 Palestinians have died since the conflict’s onset, underscoring the urgent need for intensified international intervention.