Geneva, December 26 (QNA) - The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed grave concern about the continued Israeli bombing of the central Gaza Strip.
The UNHCR spokesman, Seif Magango, said in a statement today that what is particularly worrying is that this latest intense bombardment comes after the Israeli occupation forces ordered residents in the southern Gaza Valley to move to central Gaza and Tal al-Sultan in Rafah.
Magango pointed to reports that the Israeli Air Force carried out more than 50 raids in the central Gaza Strip on December 24 and 25, including three refugee camps, Al-Bareej, Nasirate and Maghazi. Two of the raids hit seven residential buildings in the Maghazi camp, killing some 86 Palestinians and injuring others, and an unknown number of people are believed to still be trapped under the rubble.
The total death toll from the attacks on the Maghazi and Breij camps has since risen to at least 131 people, according to Médecins Sans Frontières, amid a worsening and already catastrophic humanitarian situation.
The UNHCR spokesperson reported that all roads connecting the three camps have been destroyed, impeding aid from reaching those in need, and that shelters and hospitals are still operating at a minimum, overcrowded and under-resourced.
The spokesperson stressed that the Israeli occupation forces must take all available measures to protect civilians, and warnings and evacuation orders do not absolve them of their full obligations under international humanitarian law. (QNA)