UN condemns Israel’s attacks targeting displaced Palestinians in ‘humanitarian zone’

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip, which had been designated a “humanitarian zone” for displaced Palestinians.

“This attack underscores that nowhere is safe in Gaza,” Guterres stated, expressing his shock and sorrow over the strike that killed 90 individuals in a densely populated humanitarian area. The victims included civilians, children and women.

“The U.N. Secretary-General condemns the killing of civilians, including children and women,” the statement emphasized.

Addressing Israel’s claim of targeting “two Hamas members,” Guterres stressed the importance of adhering to international humanitarian law, which includes the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack.

The statement reiterated Guterres’s call for an immediate cease-fire and the release of hostages in Gaza, declaring: “The war must end.”

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 300 people were injured in the attack.

Israel, ignoring a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation for its ongoing offensive on Gaza following an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

Local health authorities report that over 38,300 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed, and nearly 88,300 injured since the conflict began.

Over nine months into the Israeli war, vast areas of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.