UN Condemns Israeli Military Strikes Killing 57 in Gaza

The United Nations Human Rights Office condemned escalating Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip that resulted in the deaths of at least 57 Palestinians, including eight women and six children, between July 13 and 20. UN spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan reported that strikes targeted densely populated areas, residential buildings, and shelters for displaced persons, stating that such actions may constitute war crimes under international humanitarian law.

Specific strikes occurred on July 17 and 18 in Gaza City and Khan Younis, including an attack on an apartment that killed five members of a single family. Palestinian authorities report more than 1,100 deaths since the October ceasefire agreement, with the UN independently verifying 685 of those casualties.

The Israeli military defended the operations as acts of self-defense. Officials stated the strikes target weapons depots, rocket-launching sites, and members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad involved in the October 7, 2023 attacks and hostage-taking.