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UN Human Rights briefing by Liz Throssell on the situation in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank
STORY: Hostilities in the Gaza strip - WHO
TRT: 3:10”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 7 November 2023 - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior medium shot: UN building with UN flag, UN Geneva.
- Wide shot, press briefing room with journalists and screens, UN Geneva
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO): “Access, access, access is necessary. And that is to be done not through air, but through road. This way we can bring in the supplies. We have the supplies, the whole U.N. has the supplies outside of Gaza at the south at the Rafah crossing from Al-Shari onwards, the supplies and the logistics are being taken care of.”
- Cutaway: Medium shot, camerawomen, UN Geneva.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO): “Until yesterday, approximately 500 trucks have been brought in, in total over four weeks. And these are trucks with all supplies, and colleagues would be able from the other U.N. agencies to give you the details what's on there, but that’s every single supply needed, including water, of course, but also mattresses and clothes and whatever, the list is certainly very long. I can only speak for the medically necessary parts and there have been eight trucks only so far. But we have way more outside waiting. ”
- Cutaway: close up, journalists listening
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO): “There are rules in war, and these rules have to be respected by all combatants. As WHO, we cannot verify what is under the hospitals. What we can verify is what is in the hospitals and on above ground. And these are urgently needed medical facilities, the only shelter places, the only leftover places for any type of decency and normalcy for people already in distress and wounded and homeless without food and water.”
- Cutaway: close up, journalist listening, UN Geneva
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO): “Everything is nearly depending on fuel. The desalination plants, bakeries, ambulances, incubators for babies need power. I don't know the exact figure how many hospitals are out of power and therefore not functioning or damaged. But again, the cancer hospital has been out of function because of a combination of this. 22 out of 36 hospitals are still functioning. ”
- Cutaway: wide shot, speakers at podium and journalists in press room, UN Geneva
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO): “They are not only having to decide whether to run and try to save their own lives and going away from hospitals which are under evacuation and bomb threats, attack threats, but also they have their own families. They have relatives who have been killed. There have been houses which have been attacked. So it must be an extremely, horrific scenario for them. And yet they're trying to stay on the job and trying to do the best they can to save other people's lives. So, I think they are the true real heroes in this place.”
- Cutaway: wide shot, press briefing room with journalists and screens, UN Geneva
- Cutaway: close up, journalist listening, UN Geneva
- Cutaway: medium shot, journalists in press room, UN Geneva
“Since 7 October up to 2 November, 132 Palestinians, including 41 children, have been killed in the West Bank – 124 of those by Israeli forces and eight by settlers. Two Israeli soldiers have been killed,” she stated.
“Israeli forces have increasingly used military tactics and weapons in law enforcement operations, including an operation overnight involving airstrikes on Jenin refugee camp. Law enforcement is governed by international human rights law, which prohibits the intentional use of lethal force except when strictly necessary to protect life,” the spokesperson said.
“Settler violence, which was already at record levels, has also escalated dramatically, averaging seven attacks a day. In more than a third of these attacks, firearms were used.
We have documented that, that in many of these incidents, settlers were accompanied by members of the Israeli forces, or the settlers were wearing uniforms and carrying army rifles,” she said.
“Along with the near total impunity for settler violence, we are concerned that armed settlers have been acting with the acquiescence and collaboration of Israeli forces and authorities.
Entire communities are being forced from their land by this violence,” she stated.
“Since 7 October, nearly 1,000 Palestinians from at least 15 herding communities have been forced from their homes. In these circumstances, settler violence may amount to the forcible transfer of a population - a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Israel, as the Occupying Power, has the obligation to ensure the safety and protection of the occupied population under international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” she said.
“In repeated incidents, armed settlers have given Palestinian communities ultimatums to leave their homes or be killed. In one chilling example of the intimidation communities are facing, pamphlets were reportedly left by settlers on Palestinian vehicles these have with threatening messages telling them to leave now or face what was termed “elimination,” she said.
Despite hundreds of settlers being involved in this daily violence, since 7 October Israeli forces have reportedly arrested only two settlers for assaulting Palestinians and killing one Palestinian farmer.
“Since 7 October, Israeli forces have arrested almost 2,000 Palestinians. We have received credible and consistent reports indicating a further increase in the ill-treatment of detainees, which in many cases could amount to torture,” she said.
Two Palestinians arrested since 7 October have died in custody. Those detained are reportedly not granted due process and judicial guarantees, as required by international law.
The intensification of the fighting in northern Gaza has continued to add to the shocking number of casualties, which, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, has reached over 9,000 killed, among them 3.700 children, and injured in less than four weeks. The last few days have seen intensive strikes by Israeli forces on Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, with dozens of residential buildings destroyed. Similar strikes were also reported in other parts of Gaza, for example in Al Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, with dozens of buildings reportedly destroyed.
There has been a high number of casualties reported, as well as the reported use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in some of the most densely populated areas in Gaza.
We have serious concerns that the principles of distinction and proportionality are not being respected by both sides.
“We strongly urge Palestinian armed groups to immediately stop launching inherently indiscriminate rockets into Israel,” she said, adding that they must also immediately and unconditionally release civilian hostages they are holding. Throssell said this was a serious breach of international humanitarian law.
The intentional co-location of military objectives and civilians or persons hors de combat with the specific intent of trying to prevent the targeting of military objectives is a serious breach of international humanitarian law.
ENDS
For more information and media requests, please contact:
In Geneva
Ravina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org or
Liz Throssell + 41 22 917 9296 / elizabeth.throssell@un.org or
Jeremy Laurence + +41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org or
Marta Hurtado - + 41 22 917 9466 / marta.hurtadogomez@un.org
In Nairobi
Seif Magango - +254 788 343 897 / seif.magango@un.org
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