Communities in eastern Khan Yunis have recently been ordered to move to the so-called “safe zone”. UN: Most of the 40,000 killed in Gaza are women and children Peace and Security
The number of Palestinians killed in Gaza since the beginning of the current round of the conflict has reached 40,000. Against this backdrop, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has called for an end to the killings in the sector “once and for all” and the release of all hostages.
“The majority of those killed are women and children,” the High Commissioner said in a statement released Thursday. “The overwhelming majority of this unimaginable situation is due to the Israel Defense Forces’ persistent failure to respect the rules of war.”
Citing estimates based on data from the enclave’s health authorities, Turk said an average of 130 people have been killed every day in Gaza over the past 10 months. “The scale of the destruction of homes, hospitals, schools and places of worship by the Israeli military is deeply shocking,” he added.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has documented serious violations of international humanitarian law by both the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas.
A Precious Respite
Meanwhile, some Gazans have managed to gain a brief respite from the ongoing conflict thanks to a rebuilt water pumping station in Khan Younis.
“The last time I visited the station was at the end of April, it was destroyed, littered with shrapnel and possibly unexploded ordnance,” said Louise Wateridge, a spokesperson for UNRWA, the UN Refugee Agency, which has been leading repairs at the site.
“Now I have seen that many children not only collect drinking water for their families there, but also enjoy playing under the cool water that pours out from large tanks… This is a simple little joy that is available to very few here,” she added.
The largest drinking water supply system for families in Khan Yunis operates eight hours a day, pumping more than 500 cubic meters of clean drinking water daily, which is enough to provide water to approximately 100 thousand displaced people.
“There are very few sources of water left in the Gaza Strip, and many families are forced to travel long distances in sweltering temperatures to get their rations, – explained Louise Wateridge. “Others don’t have access to clean water at all, which forces them to use what they have at hand.”
The bombings don’t stop
Despite ongoing “merciless” bombing, according to an UNRWA spokesman, the station serves not only those who travel there in person, but also sends full tanks to those who cannot reach it themselves.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders. Communities in the east of Khan Yunis were ordered to move to the so-called “safe zone”. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the order affected basic public services, including eight water and sanitation facilities, as well as two primary health care centers.