He United Nations Human Rights Office has accused Israel of committing war crimes with the siege and blockade of the Gaza Strip.
“Collective punishment is a war crime.
“Israel’s collective punishment of the entire population of Gaza must stop immediately,” spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Friday in Geneva.
The U.N. agency also said the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas had committed war crimes and atrocities, including the kidnapping of Israeli civilians during the deadly Oct. 7 attacks.
Shamdasani demanded that Palestinian groups stop “indiscriminate attacks” against Israel.
More than 200 people, many of them civilians, were believed to be held captive by Hamas in Gaza.
Israel declared a “complete siege” of Gaza, cutting off supplies of water, food, electricity and fuel.
“A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding for the 2.2 million people locked up in Gaza who are being collectively punished,” said Ms. Shamdasani.
Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which killed about 1,400 people, including women and children, Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have killed more than 7,000 people, including nearly 3,000 children, according to Palestinian authorities. .
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza that have displaced nearly half of the more than two million residents.
In response, Israel called for the resignation of the UN chief and said it would not approve visas for UN officials wishing to travel to Palestine or Israel.