The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
UN Human Rights Briefing by Jeremy Laurence on Gaza
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2:37
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MP4
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383.8 MB
Teleprompter
good morning.
We are entering the sixth month of a brutal conflict
that has destroyed the lives and homes of countless Palestinians
as well as Israelis.
We fear that this already catastrophic situation may slide deeper into
the abyss as many Palestinians mark the holy month of Ramadan,
a period that is meant to honour peace
and tolerance.
Should Israel launch its threatened military offensive into
Rafah, where 1.5 million people have been displaced in
deplorable, subhuman conditions, rights defenders, peace builders and women's
any ground assault on Rafa
would incur massive loss of life and would
heighten the risk of further atrocity crimes.
This must not be allowed to happen.
We also fear that further Israeli restrictions on access
by Palestinians to east Jerusalem and the Al Aqsa
Mosque during Ramadan
could further inflame tensions
so
very
quickly.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
repeats that there must be an immediate end to this
conflict and that the killing and destruction must stop.
The hostages, who have now endured over 100 and 50 days of suffering and torment,
must be released unconditionally
and returned to their distraught families.
UNICEF
is working closely with our UN partners.
Since the seventh of October,
parties to this conflict have paid little heed to international law
that protects human rights
and governs the conduct of hostilities.
This
has been a stain on the collective conscience of humanity.
The laws of war are clear
and must be respected at all times, and in all circumstances,
those who violate them
must be held to account.
UNICEF estimates that $5
million is urgently needed to meet the immediate needs.