The UN human rights chief has said the war in Gaza’s “darkest moment” was unfolding in the north of the territory.
“As we speak, the Israeli military is subjecting an entire population to bombing, siege and risk of starvation,” Volker Türk said.
He called on the world’s leaders to act, saying states had a duty under the Geneva Conventions to ensure respect for international humanitarian law.
There was no immediate response from the Israeli military, but it has said its troops have killed “hundreds of terrorists” and evacuated 45,000 civilians in Jabalia since going back into the area for the third time on 6 October with the aim of stopping Hamas fighters regrouping there.
It comes as the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said he was deeply disturbed by reports that Israeli troops have raided one of the last functioning hospitals in northern Gaza.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the WHO had lost contact with Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahia, which was overflowing with almost 200 patients amid an Israeli offensive in nearby Jabalia.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said Israeli troops had detained patients, staff and displaced people, while Israel’s military said its forces were operating “in the area” based on intelligence “regarding the presence of terrorists”.
Hundreds of Palestinians have reportedly been killed and tens of thousands displaced since Israeli forces went back into Jabalia.
Residents unwilling or unable to comply with Israeli evacuation orders are said to be living in increasingly desperate conditions, with food and other essential supplies running out.
The UN human rights chief warned on Friday that the entire population of northern Gaza was being subjected to “non-stop” bombing, with hundreds of thousands ordered to move with no guarantees of return.
“Unimaginably, the situation is getting worse by the day,” Türk said.
“The Israeli government’s policies and practices in northern Gaza risk emptying the area of all Palestinians. We are facing what could amount to atrocity crimes, including potentially extending to crimes against humanity.”
He also said it was totally unacceptable that Palestinian armed groups were reportedly operating among civilians, including inside shelters for the displaced, and putting them in harm’s way.
Türk said countries around the world – all of them parties to the Geneva conventions – had to act now to uphold them.
“These are universally accepted and binding norms developed to preserve the very bare minimum of humanity. I implore you to put the protection of civilians and human rights first and not to abandon that minimum of humanity,” he said.
Significantly, Türk added that where there was a risk of genocide, all states were legally bound to prevent it. Until now, senior UN figures have mostly avoided the word genocide in relation to Gaza.
Israel has long accused the UN of bias and rejected accusations that it has committed war crimes.
BBC