UN Secretary-General António Guterres has raised grave concerns, warning that without international intervention, Israel could engage in the “ethnic cleansing” of Gaza.
Guterres’s warning comes amid escalating casualties in Gaza. Most recently, on Tuesday (Oct 29) a fatal strike in Beit Lahiya left 93 dead, including many children. This attack is one of several incidents classified by the UN as “mass casualty incidents” in Gaza in the past week.
The bombing in Beit Lahiya has drawn condemnation worldwide. The US described it as “horrifying,” and France called for an end to Israel’s siege of northern Gaza.
Adding to the crisis, humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza have reportedly hit an all-time low since the beginning of the conflict, stoking fears and allegations that the situation may be intended to drive Palestinians out of northern Gaza.
“Ethnic cleansing” already underway
Speaking to the Guardian on the sidelines of Colombia’s COP16 biodiversity conference, the UN chief commended the Palestinians for their resilience and said that “ethnic cleansing” has been prevented this long because of the people’s refusal to succumb.
“The intention might be for the Palestinians to leave Gaza, for others to occupy it,” said Guterres.
“We will do everything possible to help them remain there and to avoid ethnic cleansing that might occur if there is not strong determination from the international community,” he added.
However, just last week, Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that he believes “ethnic cleansing” was already underway. However, the Israeli military has denied allegations of systematically forcing Palestinians out of Gaza.
In Gaza, healthcare systems are on the verge of collapse, with only two partially functional hospitals remaining due to extreme shortages in staff, supplies, and fuel.
UN humanitarian affairs agency, OCHA, in a daily bulletin, said: “Only two … out of 20 health service points and two hospitals, Kamal Adwan and Al-Awda, remain functional, although partially, hampering the delivery of life-saving health services.”
The agency’s data indicates that 80 per cent of Gaza’s population is currently without food rations: “Across the Gaza Strip, October has seen very limited food distribution due to severe supply shortages”.
(With inputs from agencies)