The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Briefing by Ravina Shamdasani on Gaza. 1 December 2023
“The resumption of hostilities in Gaza is catastrophic. I urge all parties and States with influence over them to redouble efforts, immediately, to ensure a ceasefire – on humanitarian and human rights grounds,” Shamdasani said.
“Recent comments by Israeli political and military leaders indicating that they are planning to expand and intensify the military offensive are very troubling,”she said.
Since 7 October, thousands of Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. More now face the same fate. Others risk being forcibly displaced to already severely over-crowded and unsanitary parts of Gaza.
“The situation is beyond crisis point,” she said.
Under international humanitarian law, Israel as the occupying power, is required to ensure that the basic needs of the population in Gaza, such as food, water, and medical care, are met.
“We remind all parties of their obligation to allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need, throughout Gaza,” Shamdasani said.
“The way forward must be through an immediate end to the violence, the prompt and unconditional release of all remaining hostages, the cessation of firing of indiscriminate rockets and use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas, humanitarian aid commensurate to the immense need and rapid unimpeded access, an end to practices of arbitrary detention by Israel, and concrete steps to avert further disaster, founded on full respect and protection of the human rights of Palestinians and Israelis,” the spokesperson said.
ENDS
For more information and media requests, please contact:
In Geneva
Ravina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org or
Jeremy Laurence + +41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org or
Marta Hurtado - + 41 22 917 9466 / marta.hurtadogomez@un.org
In Nairobi
Seif Magango - +254 788 343 897 / seif.magango@un.org
Tag and share
Twitter @UNHumanRights
Facebook unitednationshumanrights
Instagram @unitednationshumanrights
- Exterior shot: Palais des Nations, Geneva.
- Wide shot: Briefing room
- Soundbite (English)— Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson, UN Human Rights: ““I must echo loud and cleat what out colleagues in Gaza have just stressed. The bombs have got to stop. Again civilians are living a nightmare, again we are receiving reports of bombings in notern Gaza, in the middle Gaza. Reports of leaflets being dropped on Khan Younis telling civilains to flee.”
- Cutaways: Briefing room
- Soundbite (English)— Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson, UN Human Rights: “The resumption of hostilities in Gaza is catastrophic. I urge all parties and States with influence over them to redouble efforts, immediately, to ensure a ceasefire – on humanitarian and human rights grounds.”
- Cutaways: Briefing room
- Soundbite (English)— Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson, UN Human Rights: “Recent comments by Israeli political and military leaders indicating that they are planning to expand and intensify the military offensive are very troubling.”
- Cutaways: Briefing room
- Soundbite (English)— Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson, UN Human Rights: “The situation is beyond crisis point.”
- Cutaways: Briefing room
- Soundbite (English)— Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson, UN Human Rights: “We remind all parties of their obligation to allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need, throughout Gaza.”
- Cutaways: Briefing room
- Soundbite (English)— Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson, UN Human Rights: “The way forward must be through an immediate end to the violence, the prompt and unconditional release of all remaining hostages, the cessation of firing of indiscriminate rockets and use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas, humanitarian aid commensurate to the immense need and rapid unimpeded access, an end to practices of arbitrary detention by Israel, and concrete steps to avert further disaster, founded on full respect and protection of the human rights of Palestinians and Israelis”
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | UNFPA
Ukraine's birthrate plummets amid war, prompting a new demographic strategy.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF , UNIFIL
UN peacekeepers determined to stay in south Lebanon, while humanitarians report more civilian suffering in Gaza and West Bank
UN peacekeepers are keeping their positions in South Lebanon despite heavy shelling and targeted attacks; their commitment to bringing back stability to the region is unwavering, the UN said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
Volker Türk calls on Tunisia to uphold rule of law and democratic freedoms, following pre-electoral context marred by human rights concerns
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk today called on the Tunisian authorities to protect the country’s democratic processes and uphold fundamental freedoms after a presidential campaign marred by a crackdown on the opposition, independent activists and journalists.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , UNICEF , OHCHR
With no let-up to the ongoing Israel-Lebanon conflict, the UN human rights office on Tuesday called for an independent probe into an Israeli airstrike that hit an apartment block in northern Lebanon a day earlier that left a reported 22 dead.
1
1
2
Edited News | OHCHR , WHO
Amid reports of intensifying Israeli bombing in Lebanon and Gaza overnight and continuing Hezbollah rocket fire into Israel, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, called on Friday for an end to the “killing, destruction [and] bellicose posturing” by those in power.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk updates the Human Rights Council in Geneva on the situation in Haiti
1
1
1
Edited News | HRC
Volker Türk, Haut-Commissaire des Nations Unies aux droits de l'Homme au sujet de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC)
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP , OHCHR
UN humanitarians in Lebanon on Tuesday described the massive challenge of trying to reach some 1.2 million people who have fled heavy Israeli bombardment and evacuation orders, driven by the fear that what happened in Gaza may befall them, too.
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM , UNHCR
Main road connecting Lebanon to Syria closed to vehicles after Israeli strike, says UN refugee agency
The major road connecting Lebanon to Syria was hit by Israeli airstrikes overnight near the key Masnaa border crossing where tens of thousands have been fleeing Lebanon into Syria in the past two weeks, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office on Tuesday published its latest report on Ukraine. It covers key human rights developments from 1 June to 31 August 2024, during which civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure increased significantly.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , OHCHR
Amid the start of a reported Israeli ground offensive against the Hezbollah armed group in southern Lebanon and fears of more civilian suffering, the UN launched an urgent humanitarian appeal on Tuesday to support those most in need in the country.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At the bi-weekly press briefingUN Human Rights spokeperson Liz Throssell made the following comments on hostilities in the Middle East.