Massacre of civilians in the Gaza Strip. "The Israeli siege is illegal"

The Palestinian ministry says 770 people have been killed and about 4,100 injured since Israel's retaliatory airstrike on the Gaza Strip on Saturday. The victims include 140 children and 120 women. WHO and UNICEF are calling for the immediate creation of a humanitarian corridor leading to the Gaza territory, and UN human rights chief Volker Türk - condemning the Hamas attacks - said that "the Israeli siege is illegal under international law."

The UN's chief of human rights, Volker Türk, said that Israeli air operations hit residential buildings, including high-rises, as well as schools and UN buildings, causing casualties among the civilian population.

- International humanitarian law is clear: the duty of constant care to spare civilian populations and civilian objects is applicable during attacks - he added.

He emphasized that the siege poses a risk of serious deterioration of an already tragic human rights and humanitarian situation in Gaza, including "the ability of medical facilities to operate, especially in light of the increasing number of injured."

- Imposing sieges that endanger civilian lives by depriving them of the goods necessary for survival, is prohibited under international humanitarian law - said Türk and emphasized that any restrictions on the flow of people and goods in order to conduct a siege must be "justified by military necessity, otherwise, they may constitute a collective punishment".

A statement was also issued by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell: "Nothing justifies the killing, mutilation, or abduction of children - serious violations of rights that UNICEF condemns with all our heart. However, less than 72 hours after the outbreak of terrible violence in Israel, reports indicate that serious violations of children's rights are widespread. Many children have been killed or injured, and countless others have experienced violence".

UNICEF has called for "armed groups or persons responsible for the immediate and safe release of any children being held as hostages in Gaza, so they can be reunited with their families and caregivers."

"We call on all parties to protect children from harm, in accordance with international humanitarian law. We are also deeply concerned about measures aimed at blocking electricity and preventing food, fuel, and water from reaching Gaza, which could endanger the lives of children" - he emphasized.

"It is necessary for all parties to refrain from further violence and attacks on civilian infrastructure. In the face of rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, humanitarian entities must have the ability to safely access services and life-saving items for children and their families - wherever they are. "I remind all parties that in this war, like in all wars, it is the children who suffer first and foremost."

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that all supplies of medical resources in the Gaza Strip have been exhausted. Moreover, the organization reported that 13 WHO facilities were attacked following Hamas's incursion on Saturday.

- The UN must be allowed access to provide urgent humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians trapped and defenseless in the Gaza Strip. I appeal to the international community to immediately mobilize humanitarian support for these efforts - appealed UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.