Latest news with #VolkerTürk
Time Magazine
11 hours ago
- Health
- Time Magazine
27 Palestinians Killed by Israeli Fire Near Aid Hub, Gaza Officials Say
At least 27 Palestinians were killed on Tuesday by Israeli fire as they tried to collect aid near a distribution hub in Rafah, according to Gaza's health ministry and witnesses. It marks the third deadly incident in three days around the Rafah aid hub run by the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), a controversial Israeli- and U.S.-backed group that was established last month to replace U.N. agencies and other aid organizations. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on X that it is 'aware of reports regarding casualties, and the details of the incident are being looked into.' 'Troops identified several suspects moving toward them, deviating from the designated routes. The troops carried out warning fire, and after the suspects failed to retreat, additional shots were directed near individual suspects,' the statement added. The U.N. and other aid agencies have blasted the new aid distribution system, saying it does not address the mounting hunger crisis in Gaza and allows Israel to use aid as a weapon. 'Palestinians have been presented the grimmest of choices: die from starvation or risk being killed while trying to access the meagre food that is being made available through Israel's militarized humanitarian assistance mechanism,' U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk said Tuesday. Türk called for a 'prompt and impartial investigation.' 'Attacks directed against civilians constitute a grave breach of international law, and a war crime,' he added. Israel has said the new aid system allows it to prevent Hamas from stealing aid, but has provided no evidence of a systemic siphoning of supplies. The head of GHF, Jake Wood, resigned on May 25 saying it would not be able to work in a way that met 'humanitarian principles.' GHF began operations the following day. On May 27, at least one Palestinian was killed and 48 wounded as desperate crowds scrambled to collect aid at the new GHF hub in Rafah, according to Gaza's health ministry and witnesses. On Sunday, June 1, at least 31 Palestinians were killed and nearly 170 injured near the GHF distribution site in Rafah, Gaza's health ministry said. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement its field hospital in Rafah received a 'mass casualty influx' and that the majority had sustained shrapnel and gunshot wounds. 'Once again, desperate hungry civilians get killed & injured while trying to reach aid. It should be delivered to them safely & with dignity,' ICRC spokesperson Hisham Mhanna said in a post on X. The IDF said in a June 1 statement on X that it 'did not fire at civilians while they were near or within the humanitarian aid distribution site and that reports to this effect are false.' On Monday, June 2, at least three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire near a GHF aid hub in Rafah, according to Gaza's health ministry. The IDF said in a statement that 'warning shots were fired toward several suspects who advanced toward' troops about 0.6 mi. from the site. The new GHF aid distribution system follows a two month blockade from Israel, in which essential food and medical supplies have dwindled, worsening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Food security experts have warned of a 'critical risk of famine.' The new aid distribution model comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement on May 18 that Israel would ease the blockade and let in a 'basic' amount of food to Gaza. The comments came hours after Israel launched a major ground offensive.
Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Fury in Gaza as at least 27 Palestinians shot dead near food distribution point
There is 'total carnage' inside Gaza as authorities report at least 27 people have been killed and dozens injured after Israelis opened fire on Palestinians near a food distribution point At least 27 Palestinians have been killed and dozens wounded by Israeli army gunfire near a food distribution point. It is the third consecutive day of similar incidents as Israel attempts to bring a in new type of aid distribution regime In Gaza. One foreign medic described the scene as 'total carnage'. The Israeli military said its forces had opened fire on a group of individuals who had left designated aid point is being run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) a newly created body backed by the US and Israel. The United Nations has issued warnings about the way aid is now being delivered. UN human rights chief Volker Türk it was 'dehumanising' and 'unacceptable.' He said: 'It's heartbreaking. I cannot believe that humanitarian aid is delivered in such circumstances. IIt's unacceptable, it's dehumanising and I really hope there is a rethinking of the whole absolute need to get humanitarian aid in quickly and not through the current system. 'I think what it shows is utter disregard for civilians. Can you imagine people that have been absolutely desperate for food, for medicine, for almost three months, and then they have to run for it or try to get it in the most desperate circumstances.' Mahmoud Basal, a spokesman for Gaza's Hamas-run Civil Defence agency, said that civilians were fired upon by tanks, quadcopter drones, and helicopters near the al-Alam roundabout, about half a mile from the aid distribution centre. In a statement, the IDF said its troops were 'not preventing the arrival of Gazan civilians to the humanitarian aid distribution sites. 'The warning shots were fired approximately half a kilometre away from the humanitarian aid distribution site toward several suspects who advanced toward the troops in such a way that posed a threat to them.' This morning's incident is very close to the location where the Hamas-run health ministry said Israeli forces killed 31 people on Sunday. A spokesman for Hamas described the aid distribution operation as the 'Israeli-American mechanism' and said the process has become 'a trap of death and humiliation. He said: 'Its goal is not relief, but rather to break the dignity of our people and turn the lives of those under siege into hell, serving the purposes of forced displacement.' Israel set up the GHF as a way to bypass the UN as the main supplier of aid in Gaza, claiming an alternative was needed to stop Hamas stealing the aid. The GHF said distribution 'was conducted safely and without incident' at its site today. A spokesman said: 'We understand that IDF is investigating whether a number of civilians were injured after moving beyond the designated safe corridor and into a closed military zone.. This was an area well beyond our secure distribution site and operations area. We recognise the difficult nature of the situation and advise all civilians to remain in the safe corridor when traveling to our distribution sites.'
Times of Oman
13 hours ago
- General
- Times of Oman
Gaza: UN chief demands probe as more killed at aid site
Witnesses and relief workers on Tuesday said that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza had fired on Palestinian civilians waiting for aid for the second time in three days. Medics said at least 27 people were killed. The IDF said that it had fired at people who "posed a threat" near the the Al-Alam roundabout in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The location is close to an aid center run by the controversial US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid center. Witnesses reported being fired at by drones and helicopters. UN human rights chief Volker Türk condemned the shootings, saying: "Deadly attacks on distraught civilians trying to access the paltry amounts of food aid in Gaza are directed against civilians constitute a grave breach of international law and a war crime." UN's Guterres saying killings are 'unacceptable' UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday had called for an independent investigation into the deaths of dozens of Palestinians near an aid distribution site in Gaza, prompting a fierce response from Israel. Guterres said in a statement that he was "appalled by the reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza." "It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food," the UN leader's statement said. "I call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable," Guterres said. Aid workers and civilians said on Sunday that Israeli forces fired on Palestinians waiting to receive aid close to a distribution site in Gaza. Journalists also reported receiving an off the record statement from the Israeli military saying that they had fired on "suspects" who posed a threat. At least 21 were killed and scores more injured, according to a Red Cross field hospital and numerous witnesses. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Guterres' statement as a "disgrace," and criticized him for ignoring the role of the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Hamas, which is in charge of Gaza, is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the US and several other countries. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein wrote in a post on X that Guterres' statement did not mention "the fact that Hamas is the one shooting civilians and trying to prevent them from collecting aid packages." Marmorstein's claims have not been confirmed by any other source. Recalling the shooting Witness Mohammed Abu Deqqa told French news agency AFP that initially the people gathered on Sunday thought warning shots were being fired by the Israeli army, but then the shooting intensified. "I began to see people lying on the ground, covered in blood. That was around 5:30 am," he said. "People started running, but many couldn't escape. The bullets were chasing people even as they tried to flee." According to AFP, its photos taken around 5:40am showed civilians using donkey carts to transport bodies shortly after sunrise.
Scoop
7 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Türk Appeals For End To Daily Killing And Destruction In Ukraine
GENEVA (26 May 2025) – The killing and injuring of dozens of civilians over the weekend, mainly in attacks launched by Russian armed forces, underscores the urgent need to end the conflict in Ukraine and to commit to the steps necessary to achieve a lasting peace, in line with international law, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said today. Since Friday, nightly Russian attacks with record numbers of long-range missiles and drones have killed and injured civilians across Ukraine. According to information gathered by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), at least 14 civilians, including three children, were reportedly killed and 88, including 11 children, injured. The majority of those killed and injured were in major cities such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv, or in populated areas in other regions. Large numbers of long-range drones launched into the Russian Federation by Ukrainian armed forces injured at least 11 civilians over the weekend, according to Russian authorities. 'It is time to put an end to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, to commit to - and implement - a comprehensive ceasefire that stops the daily killing and destruction, and to start genuine peace negotiations, built on respect for international law,' said Türk. 'To achieve a sustainable solution, it is imperative to put people and their human rights first. The needs and rights of those most affected by the conflict, including prisoners of war (POWs), civilian detainees, deported and forcibly transferred children, the displaced and those living in occupied territory of Ukraine, must be at the centre of the discussions around peace,' the High Commissioner said. In recent days, 880 prisoners of war and 120 civilians from each side have been exchanged. Most of the civilians appeared to have been detainees, but details on individuals included in the exchange are not yet available. 'Many families can now breathe a sigh of relief because their loved ones have finally returned home. But at the same time, other families have lost relatives and their homes, as their communities across Ukraine came under attack,' Türk said. The High Commissioner highlighted that, even amid ongoing hostilities, people deprived of their liberty must be protected. Summary executions, torture and all forms of inhumane and degrading treatment of prisoners are always prohibited, in any circumstances, and must stop immediately. In addition, he stressed that civilian detainees should be released as soon as the lawful reason for their detention ceases to exist, and their protection against refoulement must be ensured. Practical measures to strengthen the protection of POWs and civilian detainees include enabling regular correspondence with their families, establishing Mixed Medical Commissions to visit and assess the health of POWs, and granting and improving the access of independent monitors, including the UN Human Rights Office, to places of internment and detention. Background: The UN Human Rights Office has monitored and reported on the human rights situation in Ukraine since 2014. It has in total interviewed more than 1,700 current and former POWs and civilian detainees on both sides. The Office has verified that at least 13,134 civilians have been killed and 31,867 injured since the Russian federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
UN: Israel ignoring 'fundamental principles of humanity' in Gaza
The UN's top human rights official, Volker Türk, has said that Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip are no longer covered by the principle of self-defence under international law. We are talking about "an expulsion that is highly, highly questionable," Türk said on Austrian radio, referring to the effect of the war on the civilian population. "What we have witnessed in recent months has nothing to do with respect for the fundamental principles of humanity," said Türk, who holds the title of UN high commissioner for human rights. "You can't really find any more words to describe what is happening." Israel's friends in particular must exert massive diplomatic pressure on the country to change its behaviour, the Austrian official said. Israel's army recently said it was pursuing its war against the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas by expanding the war zone and calling on the residents of most places in the southern Gaza Strip to leave the region. The war in Gaza has claimed more than 53,000 Palestinian lives, according to the Hamas-run authorities in Gaza. It was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other groups on October 7, 2023. About 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip.
