Gaza - New York: Europe and the Arabs
The World Health Organization stated that the mass displacement in Gaza has a serious impact on public health, as overcrowding, lack of adequate shelter, and poor water, sanitation and hygiene conditions increase the risk of infectious diseases, according to the United Nations daily news bulletin, a copy of which we received this morning, Wednesday.
The organization reported that overcrowding also increases the risk of mass casualties in attacks on populated areas. At the same time, the UN agency warned that the number of patients in need of medical evacuation out of Gaza is expected to increase, given the ongoing fighting and the shrinking capacity of the health system.
The World Health Organization said that it continues to call for the establishment of multiple medical evacuation corridors out of Gaza to ensure the safe passage of patients through all possible routes, including the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings.
Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says active conflict, damaged roads and infrastructure, denial of access and delays, lack of public order and safety, and other challenges continue to hamper efforts to deliver aid in Gaza and thus ensure life-saving humanitarian assistance reaches Palestinians.
The UN Office stressed the need for the UN and its partners to be able to deliver humanitarian assistance to those in need wherever they are in Gaza. Humanitarian workers reported that the Kerem Shalom crossing was closed on Tuesday due to military operations. This has prevented the transfer of vital supplies, as well as the entry of humanitarian workers into Gaza.
Meanwhile, the western Erez crossing (Beit Hanoun) has remained closed since 2 August for maintenance work. Humanitarian supplies have been redirected to the Erez crossing.
The UN Human Rights Office expressed its shock at the “unfolding pattern of Israeli military strikes on schools” in Gaza, which it said were killing internally displaced Palestinians seeking shelter in these schools. The commission said in a statement that at least 17 schools were bombed in the past month alone, amid reports that at least 163 Palestinians, many of them children and women, were killed, "indicating a failure to comply with the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution in carrying out these attacks."
The commission noted that in the past eight days, at least seven schools were targeted, all of which were sheltering displaced people, while Khadija School was used as a shelter and a field hospital at the same time. The Israeli army had claimed that many of these schools were being used by "Hamas elements."
In this context, the Human Rights Office said in its statement: "While the placement of military objectives among civilians by armed groups or the use of the presence of civilians to shield a military objective from attack constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law, it does not negate Israel's obligation to strictly comply with international humanitarian law, including the principles of proportionality, distinction and precaution when carrying out military operations. Israel, as the occupying power, is also obligated to provide the basic humanitarian needs of the evacuated population, including safe shelter."
“Extrajudicial executions”
The Commission also expressed grave concern about the use of lethal force by Israeli security forces in the West Bank, where they reportedly killed nine Palestinians on 3 August, “five of whom appear to have been planned extrajudicial executions”.
“The planned killing of individuals who pose no imminent threat to life, as well as the regular use of military tactics and weapons in law enforcement operations in the occupied West Bank, raises concerns about unnecessary, disproportionate and unlawful use of force,” the Commission said.

According to information gathered by the Human Rights Commission, Israeli forces targeted a Palestinian vehicle on a road in Tulkarm with two consecutive airstrikes, killing five Palestinian men, who were allegedly on their way to carry out a “terrorist attack”. Later that afternoon, an exchange of fire took place between Israeli forces and four Palestinian militants, who were also killed in an airstrike.