A man carries the body of a Palestinian girl killed in an Israeli strike on a house in Jabalia, at Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza City on November 10, 2024. — Reuters
The UN Human Rights Office reported on Friday that nearly 70% of the verified fatalities in the Gaza war were women and children, condemning what it termed as a systematic violation of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. The UN's count, which includes only verified fatalities with three sources, stands at 8,119, significantly lower than the over 43,000 reported by Palestinian health authorities for the 13-month conflict. However, the UN's breakdown of victim demographics supports the Palestinian claim that a large portion of those killed were women and children, indicating a violation of international humanitarian law principles.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk emphasized the need for accountability through credible and impartial judicial bodies, while Israel's diplomatic mission to the UN in Geneva categorically rejected the report, accusing the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) of inaccurately reflecting the situation on the ground and ignoring Hamas's role in causing civilian harm. Israel asserts that Hamas uses civilians as human shields, leading to the disproportionate civilian death toll.
Hamas denies using civilians and civilian infrastructure as shields. Israel's military, which launched its offensive in response to the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, claims it takes extensive measures to minimize civilian harm. The military asserts that every action is conducted in accordance with the principles of distinction and proportionality.
Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office for the occupied Palestinian Territory, noted that the UN's verified fatalities were confirmed through multiple sources. He acknowledged that the final UN tally could align with the Palestinian toll. The youngest verified victim was a one-day-old boy, and the oldest was a 97-year-old woman. Children aged five to nine represented the largest age group among the victims, reflecting the demographic makeup of Gaza and suggesting a failure to take adequate precautions to avoid civilian casualties.
The report also found that in 88% of cases, five or more people were killed in the same attack, indicating the use of wide-area effect weapons by the Israeli military. Some fatalities may have resulted from errant projectiles from Palestinian armed groups.
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