BY IONA CLEAVE

ISRAELI OCCUPIED GAZA - The “darkest moment” of the war is unfolding in northern Gaza, while Israel’s actions could amount to “atrocity crimes”, according to the UN human rights chief.

Volker Turk warned that Israel’s policies in northern Gaza “risk emptying the area of all Palestinians”. “We are facing what could amount to atrocity crimes, including potentially extending to crimes against humanity,” he said.

Mr Turk said that “more than 150,000 people are reportedly dead, wounded or missing in Gaza” since the war there erupted just over a year ago. “Unimaginably, the situation is getting worse by the day,” he added.

His statement came as the World Health Organization said it had lost contact with staff at northern Gaza’s last functioning hospital. “This development is deeply disturbing, given the number of patients being served and people sheltering there,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it had been operating in the area of the hospital after intelligence reports indicated that “terrorists and terrorist infrastructure” were present. It said it evacuated patients in the weeks preceding its operation.

Three IDF soldiers were killed in northern Gaza on Friday when a bomb was detonated against a tank, the Israeli military said. Israel launched a major air and ground assault in northern Gaza this month, saying it wanted to stop Hamas militants regrouping there.

 

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