UN human rights chief condemns killings of women and children in Rafah

People mourn victims killed during Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

The United Nations' (UN) Human Rights chief Volker Turk has strongly condemned recent Israeli strikes in Rafah that resulted in the deaths of many women and children.

In a statement on Tuesday, Turk also warned against a full-scale incursion into an area with over 1.2 million civilians, saying it would violate international humanitarian and human rights law, likely leading to more atrocities.

In March, the UN Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire, he stressed.

Moreover, he underscored the need for global solidarity to protect civilians in Rafah, recalling recent tragedies such as a premature baby delivered from a mother who had been mortally wounded in an air strike and the deaths of numerous children and women in separate strikes.

The UN human rights chief called for immediate actions to halt this suffering, calling for independent investigations into reports of mass graves and the destruction of medical facilities. He stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire, the release of hostages and unimpeded humanitarian aid.