Sat Nov 09 04:29:32 UTC 2024: ## UN Condemns “Horrific Reality” of Civilian Deaths in Gaza War
**Geneva, November 9, 2024:** The United Nations has condemned the staggering number of civilian deaths in the ongoing war in Gaza, with women and children accounting for nearly 70% of the verified fatalities. A new report released by the UN human rights office details the “horrific reality” of the conflict, highlighting widespread violations of international law, including potential war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The report notes that while Palestinian armed groups have also engaged in hostilities that may have contributed to civilian harm, Israeli forces bear primary responsibility for the unprecedented level of casualties in Gaza. The UN points to a “complete siege” of Gaza, a failure to allow humanitarian aid, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, and repeated mass displacement.
“This conduct by Israeli forces has caused unprecedented levels of killings, death, injury, starvation, illness, and disease,” the report states.
The UN has verified 8,119 deaths out of the over 34,500 reported in the first six months of the war, finding that close to 70% were children and women. This, the report emphasizes, signifies a “systematic violation of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, including distinction and proportionality.”
The report reveals that approximately 80% of the verified deaths occurred in Israeli attacks on residential buildings, with children aged 5-9 being the primary victims. The UN’s verification methodology, requiring multiple independent sources, may contribute to this high proportion of deaths in residential areas.
While Israel maintains that its operations target militants, the UN report stresses that the verified deaths largely reflect the demographic makeup of Gaza’s general population, raising concerns about compliance with international humanitarian law. The report concludes that the “apparent failure to take all feasible precautions to avoid, and in any event to minimize, incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects” constitutes a grave violation.
The UN calls for an end to these “tragic patterns of violations” and emphasizes the urgent need for compliance with international humanitarian law in the ongoing conflict.
First Piper 