States must push for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and impose sanctions against Israel. This viewpoint was expressed by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese.
"States must insist on an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and impose sanctions against Israel to prevent further disasters," Albanese said in a statement released in Geneva following her visit to Egypt and Jordan. "At this point, Israel has violated its international obligations to such an extent that it justifies calls for sanctions," she argued.
The special rapporteur noted that Israeli authorities once again denied her access to the occupied Palestinian territories, so she received information about the situation there from Palestinians in neighboring countries. "No Palestinian is safe under Israel's unrestricted control," the expert asserted, noting that the situation in Gaza is "worse than previously thought" and will have "serious and multi-faceted long-term consequences."
Regarding the provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza residents, she expressed the opinion that measures taken so far, including air delivery of aid, are "merely palliative." "These measures are entirely insufficient to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe created by Israel's attack," the statement said.
According to the special rapporteur, her trip to Egypt and Jordan confirmed the importance of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) mandate to assist Palestinian refugees and organize work for Palestinians and residents throughout the region. Neighboring countries "cannot cope alone with the consequences of Israel's destructive practice of killings and displacement of people from the Gaza Strip," Albanese concluded.
The situation in the Middle East escalated sharply after Hamas fighters infiltrated Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023. In response, Israel declared a complete blockade of Gaza and began strikes against it and certain areas of Lebanon and Syria, followed by a ground operation in the enclave. According to the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, over 31,000 Palestinians have been killed during the hostilities, and more than 73,000 have been injured. According to UNICEF estimates, over 13,000 of the killed are children.
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Based on materials from TASS