The Israeli military has escalated attacks across Gaza City, reportedly deciding to press ahead with plans to take full control which will only lead to further “mass killings of civilians” and displacement, UN human rights officials warned on Wednesday. Recent attacks have been particularly devastating in the Az Zaytoun neighbourhood, where airstrikes, artillery shelling and gunfire are continuous and intense, causing a high number of civilian casualties and the large-scale destruction of residential buildings and public facilities, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory said in a statement. Since 8 August, the office has recorded 54 attacks on residential buildings and entire blocks in Gaza City, killing 87 Palestinians, including at least 25 children and entire families. It also recorded attacks on shelters for internally displaced people, including tents and schools, killing at least 14. These casualty figures “indicate that the systematic destruction of Gaza City is already underway,” the statement said. However, OHCHR stressed that these devastating figures are only a portion of the actual toll due to underreporting in such dire circumstances.
Amid ongoing Israeli attacks, ‘the systematic destruction of Gaza City is already underway’: UN rights office (UN News)
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