Israel labelling civilians 'terrorists' signals 'planned massacres,' says Unrwa chief
میدل-ایست-آی - 1404-07-11 15:41:39
Israel labelling civilians 'terrorists' signals 'planned massacres,' says Unrwa chief
The chief of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, has warned that Israel labelling 250,000 civilians in Gaza City "terrorists or terror supporters" suggests they are planning "large-scale massacres".
In a post on X, Philippe Lazzarini warned the Israeli statement could mean "killing more women, children, elderly and vulnerable people unable to move out".
"No one has the licence to kill civilians," he said.
"Ongoing international crimes in Gaza cannot continue to be implicitly tolerated."
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that Palestinians remaining in Gaza City were being given a “last opportunity” to flee south, or would be treated as “terrorists and supporters of terror”.
His warning came as Israeli forces intensified their military offensive in Gaza City and simultaneously blocked Palestinians in southern Gaza from returning north.
By Friday noon, at least 22 Palestinians had been killed across the Gaza Strip, according to health officials.
Since the genocide began nearly two years ago, Israeli forces have killed at least 66,225 Palestinians and wounded more than 168,000, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Leaked Israeli military data shows that more than 80 percent of those killed are civilians, including around 20,000 children.
The Israeli military began a large-scale offensive in Gaza City last month as part of a plan to seize the city and fully occupied the famine-striken Palestinian enclave.
'Life-changing injuries'
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that around 42,000 people in Gaza have sustained “life-changing injuries” due to Israel’s ongoing attacks - with a quarter of them being children.
"Life-changing injuries account for one quarter of all reported injuries, of a total of 167,376 people injured since October 2023," the report noted.
More than 5,000 people have gone through amputations, while other severe injuries include those to the limbs (over 22,000), the spinal cord (over 2,000), to the brain (over 1,300) and major burns (over 3,300).
"The report also highlights the prevalence of complex facial and eye injuries, especially amongst patients listed for medical evacuation outside Gaza, conditions often leading to disfigurement, disability, and social stigma," WHO adds.
According to the organisation, the health system in the besieged strip "teeters on the brink of collapse" with mounting needs for specialised medical services and treatment further compound the situation.
The Israeli genocide has devastated the "rehabilitation workforce," the report adds, with Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the occupied Palestinian territory, stressing that rehabilitation services are vital for not just trauma recovery, but also for patients suffering from chronic conditions and disabilities.
More than 1500 health workers have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2023, according to the health ministry.
The WHO representative said that displacement, malnutrition, disease, and the lack of assistive products means that the accurate "rehabilitation burden" in Gaza is far greater than the figures presented in the report.
"Conflict-related injuries also carry a profound mental health toll, as survivors struggle with trauma, loss, and daily survival while psychosocial services remain scarce," the report said.
"Mental health and psychosocial support must be integrated and scaled up alongside rehabilitation.”
