130 killed in war-torn Gaza every day: UN rights chief

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Thursday condemned the ongoing Israeli violence in the war-torn Gaza Strip, revealing that nearly 130 people have died daily since Oct. 7.

"On average, about 130 people have been killed every day in Gaza over the past 10 months. The scale of the Israeli military's destruction of homes, hospitals, schools and places of worship is deeply shocking," Turk said.

Turk stressed that the "unimaginable situation" in the besieged enclave is overwhelmingly due to the recurring failures of the Israeli army to comply with the rules of war.

He also noted the importance of protecting civilians, civilian property, and infrastructure as outlined by international humanitarian law (IHL). "Our Office has documented serious violations of IHL by both the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups, including the armed wing of Hamas."

In a call to the international community, Turk urged all parties to agree to an immediate cease-fire, cease hostilities, and halt the bloodshed.

"As the world reflects on and considers its inability to prevent this carnage, I urge all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire, lay down their arms and stop the killing once and for all."

"The hostages must be released. Palestinians arbitrarily detained must be freed. Israel's illegal occupation must end and the internationally agreed two-state solution must become a reality."

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.

The Israeli onslaught has since killed more than 40,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 92,400 others, according to local health authorities.

Over 10 months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.