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UNHC for Human Rights Volker Turk said the world was witnessing a humanitarian disaster that must come to an end
A convoy of Israeli tanks is deployed at Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip on September 16, 2025. (AFP photo)
The United Nations human rights chief on Tuesday condemned Israel’s latest ground assault on Gaza City, calling it “utterly unacceptable” and urging an immediate end to the violence.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk also warned that growing evidence could point to genocide in the Palestinian territory.
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Turk said the world was witnessing a humanitarian disaster that must come to an end. “It is absolutely clear that this carnage must stop,” he told AFP and Reuters.
“The whole world screams for peace. Palestinians, Israelis scream for peace. Everyone wants an end to this, and what we see is a further escalation which is totally and utterly unacceptable,” he added.
Turk also criticised the ongoing attacks in north-west Gaza, where many civilians had already taken shelter after fleeing earlier fighting. He condemned the bombing of residential buildings, many of which were acting as shelters for displaced families.
Israel Moves Deeper Into Gaza City
Israel launched its long-anticipated ground assault on Gaza City before dawn on Tuesday, just a day after a visit by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who expressed support for its goal of eliminating Hamas.
A senior Israeli military official said, “Last night, we transitioned into the next phase, the main phase of the plan for Gaza City… Forces have expanded ground activity into Hamas’s main stronghold in Gaza, which is Gaza City.”
“We are moving towards the centre” of Gaza City, he noted.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said Gaza City was “on fire,” and that the IDF was hitting terrorist infrastructure with an iron fist.
The IDF estimates that 2,000–3,000 Hamas fighters remain in the area. It also claimed that 40% of Gaza City residents have already evacuated to the south.
UN Commission Accuses Israel Of Genocide
Meanwhile, a UN Commission of Inquiry has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and named Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials as responsible for incitement.
The Israeli government has dismissed the claims as “scandalous.”
Turk did not use the term genocide himself but acknowledged growing legal concern, “We see the piling up of war crime after war crime or crime against humanity, and potentially even more. I mean, it’s for the court to decide whether it’s genocide or not and we see the evidence mounting.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
Palestine
September 16, 2025, 18:37 IST
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