Gaza-Geneva: Europe and the Arabs

On the 50th day of the ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on the Tuffah and Shuja'iyya neighborhoods, while areas east of Jabalia were subjected to artillery shelling. Nasser Medical Complex confirmed the death of a Palestinian in the town of Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis. The Israeli army announced that its forces found nine militants killed east of Rafah and also claimed to have killed 30 militants inside tunnels, according to the European news network Euronews in Brussels. In parallel with the escalation on the ground, UNICEF warned of the deteriorating humanitarian situation for children in Gaza, stressing that many of them continue to suffer from hunger, disease, and exposure to life-threatening low temperatures amidst declining health services and ongoing shortages of food and medicine.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed its deep dismay at the "outrageous killing by Israeli border police" of two Palestinian men in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, "in what appears to be a summary execution." According to the UN Daily News Bulletin

At a press conference held in Geneva on Friday, the spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Jeremy Laurence, noted the announcement of an internal review following the incident, which was filmed by a television channel.

However, he stressed that statements by a "senior Israeli government official" seeking to absolve Israeli security forces of responsibility "raise serious concerns about the credibility of any future review or investigation conducted by any body that is not entirely independent of the government."

Lawrence stated that the killing of Palestinians by Israeli security forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank is on the rise, with no accountability, "even in the rare cases where investigations are announced."

He said that since October 7, 2023, the High Commissioner's Office has verified that Israeli forces and settlers have killed 1,030 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, "among these victims 223 children." In this context, the spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said: “The impunity enjoyed by Israeli security forces for their unlawful use of force, and the ever-increasing violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers, must end. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, urges independent, prompt, and effective investigations into the killings of Palestinians and that those responsible for violations be held fully accountable.”

Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that UN staff and facilities in Gaza continue to come under fire despite the ceasefire, posing unacceptable risks to their safety.

On Monday, in northern Gaza, an Israeli quadcopter was reportedly shelled at a UNRWA schoolyard in Jabalia. On Tuesday evening, in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, a group of armed Palestinians opened fire on a team from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), hitting one of their clearly marked vehicles with several bullets.

The team had just finished loading fuel and conducting monitoring work at the Kerem Shalom crossing. No one was injured in either attack. The United Nations reiterated the need to protect civilians, including humanitarian workers, and civilian infrastructure—including humanitarian convoys, supplies, and facilities—in accordance with international humanitarian law.

Attacks expose UN staff, its NGO partners, and the people who depend on their services to grave risks, including death and injury, and further impede humanitarian work.

The organization urged all parties to protect civilian lives and allow the safe passage of essential humanitarian aid.

Despite these risks, and other obstacles preventing the full expansion of humanitarian assistance, the UN and its partners continue to provide essential services and supplies to those in need throughout Gaza.

This includes monthly food assistance to some 18,000 families through 59 distribution points, expanding nutrition services and treating malnutrition, and strengthening support for the water sector to reduce reliance on water trucking—by supporting the rehabilitation of wells and pipelines, and repairing Gaza’s damaged sewage network. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) also distributed 16 reproductive health kits to medical facilities across Gaza, enough to support approximately 200 safe deliveries over the next three months.

Meanwhile, Iranian media outlets broadcast new footage showing Israeli strikes targeting military sites during the 12-day war in June.

The footage, according to these outlets, shows what is believed to be an operations room being hit while officers were inside, as well as a radar system being targeted.

The media praised the soldiers who appeared in the footage, noting that they were aware they were potential targets but remained at their posts.