Geneva, April 23.- The spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Ravina Shamdasani, did not rule out that, in addition to war crimes, crimes against humanity have also been committed in the Strip. from Gaza and Israel.
“Many war crimes have been committed in Gaza and Israel, we have been talking about it for months. Regarding crimes against humanity, we are verifying and investigating whether they have also been committed,” the spokesperson declared.
Last February, at the 55th session of the Human Rights Council, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Volker Turk, declared that Israel had committed numerous war crimes in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Additionally, Turk highlighted an “unprecedented” level of killings of civilians in Gaza, including UN staff and journalists, as well as the humanitarian crisis caused by restrictions on humanitarian aid, the repeated displacement of at least 75% of the population, the massive destruction of hospitals and other civil infrastructure.
On October 7, 2023, an attack coordinated by the Palestinian movement Hamas against more than 20 Israeli communities resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths, around 5,500 injuries, and the capture of 253 hostages, of whom around 100 were later released in prisoner exchanges.
In response, Israel launched a declaration of war against Hamas and launched a series of bombing raids on Gaza. These actions have caused the death of more than 34 thousand Palestinians and have left some 77 thousand injured to date.
Russia and other countries urge Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire and advocate a two-state solution, approved by the UN in 1947, as the only possible way to achieve lasting peace in the region. (Sputnik) (Photo: AP Photo)
