DaysofPal- The United Nations on Monday called on Israeli occupation forces to take all necessary measures to prevent acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip, warning of growing signs of “ethnic cleansing” in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
In a new report, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said Israel’s actions since the outbreak of the war on 7 October 2023 constitute “serious violations” of international law, adding that some of these acts may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Türk urged Israel to comply with the 2024 ruling issued by the International Court of Justice, which ordered Israeli occupation forces to take steps aimed at preventing genocide in Gaza.
He also called on Israeli occupation forces to ensure that their forces do not commit “acts of genocide,” while demanding concrete measures to prevent incitement to genocide and hold accountable those responsible for such violations.
According to the latest figures released by Gaza’s Ministry of Health, which the United Nations considers credible, the Israeli genocidal campaign in the Gaza Strip has killed approximately 72,769 Palestinians despite the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States in October last year.
Israeli Officials Signal Expansion of Military and Settlement Policies
The UN warning came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last Thursday that Israeli forces had expanded their control over the Gaza Strip from 53 percent to 60 percent, a move widely seen as contradicting the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
Speaking during a ceremony marking the anniversary of Israel’s occupation of Jerusalem, Netanyahu declared that Israel had demonstrated “the strength of our people, our state, and our army” over the past two years. He added that Israel had “broken the barrier of fear” and now controlled “60 percent” of Gaza.
During the same event, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich spoke about new plans concerning the occupied West Bank, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir renewed calls for the displacement of Palestinians from both Gaza and the West Bank. Ben Gvir also advocated expanding Israeli settlement activity into Lebanon.
Netanyahu further claimed that the war was “not over yet,” arguing that Israel had removed what he described as a “direct existential threat” posed by Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missiles.
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