“It’s important to achieve instantly a ceasefire in Gaza,” the Secretary-Common instructed reporters on the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo Worldwide Convention on African Growth (TICAD9), “and the unconditional launch of all hostages and to keep away from the large dying and destruction {that a} navy operation towards Gaza Metropolis would inevitably trigger.”
Round a million folks nonetheless dwell within the metropolis – Gaza’s largest – within the north of the war-torn enclave. The Israeli military has reportedly described it as a stronghold of Hamas, the phobia group whose lethal assaults in Israel and hostage-taking sparked the conflict on 7 October 2023.
The UN chief additionally condemned the Israeli Authorities’s choice to approve a long-shelved settlement growth venture within the occupied West Financial institution.
“The choice by the Israeli authorities to increase unlawful settlement development, which might divide the West Financial institution, have to be reversed. All settlement development is a violation of worldwide legislation,” he insisted.
The settlement is believed to have permission for properly over 3,000 homes, colleges and a clinic, slicing off East Jerusalem from the occupied West Financial institution, which Israel captured through the 1967 Six-Day conflict after defeating Egypt, Jordan and Syria.
City destruction
In an replace on Gaza, UN rights workplace, OHCHR, famous that the Israeli navy introduced on 20 August that the “preliminary part” of the offensive towards Gaza Metropolis had begun, specializing in Jabalya in north Gaza and Az Zaytoun in Gaza Metropolis.
OHCHR reported intense and persevering with Israeli navy assaults specializing in Jabalya Al Balad and Jabalya Al Nazla and, individually, additional assaults on aid-seekers within the Zikim space.
“Steady airstrikes, shelling and UAV [drone] bombing had been reported, together with towards residential buildings,” the UN rights workplace mentioned, with reported demolitions of houses in Jabalya utilizing explosives.
Quadcopter alerts
The Israeli navy additionally reportedly continued to broadcast orders utilizing quadcopters in addition to telephone requires residents to evacuate massive components of Jabalya, based on OHCHR.
In the meantime in Gaza Metropolis, complete city areas are being “completely destroyed”, the UN understands, with additional destruction now underway within the south and southeast, as navy manoeuvres proceed.
Latest assaults have been significantly devastating within the Az Zaytoun and As Sabra neighbourhoods. As well as, reported airstrikes hit residential buildings or tents sheltering displaced folks in Ash Sheikh Radwan, Ash Shujaiyeh and Ash Shati Camp, leading to a number of fatalities, the OHCHR head within the occupied territories instructed UN Information.
Highlighting greater than 50 assaults on residential buildings and full blocks in Gaza Metropolis since 8 August, OHCHR warned on Wednesday that town’s “systematic destruction” had begun.
© UNRWA Photograph
“Some households are reported to be trapped because of the steady bombardment,” OHCHR mentioned, citing studies that the intensive demolition of buildings was persevering with in northern and japanese Gaza Metropolis.
As well as, mass inhabitants displacement was reported from North Gaza and from Gaza Metropolis in the direction of western components of Gaza Metropolis, though no figures are but obtainable.
Israeli navy assaults on tents sheltering folks in Al Mawasi, western Khan Younis, are additionally being reported, OHCHR famous.
Acute malnutrition hovering
In the meantime, UN help groups highlighted the catastrophic impression of the accelerating Israeli navy operation, with acute malnourishment hovering amongst youngsters in Gaza Metropolis to twenty-eight.5 per cent, or a couple of in 4 kids.
“Kids proceed to die from man-made hunger,”UNRWA mentioned in a press release, noting that it has screened greater than 95,000 youngsters aged six months to 5 years for malnutrition throughout the Gaza Strip since March 2025, after the ceasefire collapsed.
© UNRWA
Whereas the ceasefire nonetheless held in early March and aid provides had been allowed into Gaza in far higher portions than right now,malnutrition charges had been six instances decrease in Gaza Metropolis, at 4.5 per cent, based on the UN company for Palestinians, UNRWA.
Throughout Gaza, acute malnutrition rose to just about 16 per cent in mid-August, greater than 3 times greater than the 5.2 per cent stage recorded by the UN company in March, it mentioned.
Very important companies at risk
Right this moment, companies offered by UNRWA in Gaza Metropolis are at “extreme threat”, the company warned, pointing to the tens of 1000’s of people that nonetheless dwell in its shelters and the “many extra” who stay in surrounding areas.
© UNRWA
There may be explicit concern for UNRWA’s Gaza Discipline Workplace compound – its largest logistics hub in northern Gaza – because the UN company’s operations within the south have been “crippled” by displacement orders and bombardment.
As a sign of UNRWA’s key function in help and aid provision throughout Gaza, it famous that last month alone, it offered greater than 100,000 medical consultations and screened 3,500 youngsters for malnutrition in Gaza Metropolis.
UNRWA additionally delivered consuming water to 220,000 folks, home water to 250,000 and cleared lots of of tons of waste.
Schooling and safety specialists from the UN company reached 1000’s extra in non permanent studying areas or by providing counselling, leisure actions and threat consciousness coaching concerning the risks of deadly unexploded weapons.
“Whereas our colleagues, like the remainder of the UN, are decided to remain and ship, all of those companies are actually in danger because the navy operations intensify,” UNRWA mentioned.
