Gaza: UN envoy condemns deadly attack on refugee camp in humanitarian zone
According to the latest media reports, thousands of displaced Palestinians are in the Khan Younis refugee camp and at least 19 people have been killed.
‘Nowhere is safe in Gaza’
“While the IDF said it struck Hamas militants operating in a command and control center embedded inside the humanitarian area, I emphasize that International humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautionary measures in attack, must be upheld at all times.”, Tor Wennesland, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said in a statement.
He stressed that it is never permissible to use civilians as human shields.
“Once again, such actions only underscore that nowhere is safe in Gaza,” he said
Guterres ‘deeply concerned’
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said through his Spokesperson at a regular noon press briefing in New York that he was “deeply concerned by the continued loss of life in Gaza”.
“He strongly condemns today’s Israeli air strikes on the Israeli-designated area for displaced persons in Khan Younis,” said Stéphane Dujarric.
“The use of heavy weapons in densely populated areas is unconscionable. Palestinians have moved to this area in Khan Younis in search of shelter and safety, after the Israeli authorities repeatedly instructed them to do so,” he continued.
Mr Guterres again called for an immediate ceasefire and “the immediate and unconditional release of all Israeli hostages and other nationals still held in Gaza”.
End of war
The special envoy reiterated his call for all parties to immediately reach an agreement to release all hostages and cease fire in Gaza, adding that the killing of civilians must stop and this horrific war must end.
“Ultimately, only a political path that outlines concrete, irreversible steps towards ending the occupation and establishing a two-state solution can put a lasting end to the suffering of Palestinians and Israelis,” he said, noting that the United Nations stands ready to support all efforts towards this goal.
The polio caravan stopped.
Meanwhile, the United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees, UNRWAThe Israeli military intercepted a convoy traveling to northern Gaza to vaccinate children against polio on Monday and held it for more than eight hours, despite detailed prior coordination, the Associated Press reported.
UNRWA, World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) launched a three-part campaign this month to protect more than 600,000 children in the region from polio after the disease was detected in wastewater samples in June.
A UN convoy carrying national and international staff is on its way to deploy operations in Gaza City and northern Gaza, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on Tuesday in a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
Employees threatened, vehicles damaged
The convoy was stopped at gunpoint just outside the Wadi Gaza checkpoint with threats to arrest UN staff. UN armoured vehicles were badly damaged by bulldozers.
Mr Lazzarini noted that while all personnel and convoys had been released and returned safely to base, he was unsure whether the polio vaccination campaign would be able to take place in northern Gaza on Tuesday.
“This significant incident is the latest in a series of violations against UN personnel, including the opening fire on convoys and arrests by the Israeli Armed Forces at checkpoints despite prior notification,” he said.
“United Nations personnel must be allowed to carry out their duties safely and protected at all times in accordance with international humanitarian law. Gaza is no exception.”
Vaccination in progress
IN a tweet Later on Tuesday, UNRWA sent an update that despite the convoy delays, “our teams were able to vaccinate thousands of children in northern Gaza today.”
“This is a race against time,” the agency added. “The spread of polio is a very real threat. Our colleagues continue to do the impossible to reach every child under 10 across the Gaza Strip.”
One convoy, two missions
The UN health organization (WHO) said the delayed convoy included two delegations on Tuesday in Geneva.
One group is carrying fuel and vehicles for the third phase of the vaccination campaign, while the other is trying to bring much-needed fuel to the struggling Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
The enclave’s largest medical center reopened its emergency department in early September after it was destroyed in an Israeli raid in November 2023 following claims that Palestinian militant groups were using the site for military purposes.
‘Not an isolated incident’
“This is not an isolated incident,” said WHO spokesman Tarik Jašarević, who condemned the lack of an “effective de-confliction mechanism” after 11 months of war in Gaza.
Between September 7 and 10, WHO teams attempted to reach Al-Shifa hospital four times without success.
“But we’re going to try again today,” he said. “We’re really trying, but there’s a pattern: in August, the number of denied access requests doubled compared to previous months.”
