UN expert warns of imminent 'ethnic cleansing' risk in Gaza
Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territories, has issued a stark warning about the potential for "ethnic cleansing" in Gaza, reports Vicenews.
In response to Israel's self-defence justifications for military operations, Albanese said, "Any continued military operations by Israel have gone well beyond the limits of international law. The international community must stop these egregious violations of international law now, before tragic history is repeated. Time is of the essence. Palestinians and Israelis both deserve to live in peace, equality of rights, dignity, and freedom."
Israeli government officials have announced an impending, open-ended operation to invade the Gaza Strip, with plans to remove and destroy the military capabilities and leadership of the Hamas militant group.
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Despite widespread concerns from human rights groups, the United Nations, and aid workers that the evacuation orders for the roughly 1.1 million residents of Gaza City might amount to ethnic cleansing, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have pressed on with the evacuation. Israel has also cut deliveries of food, water, fuel, and medical supplies to the strip.
A video released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office showed a meeting with reservist troops preparing for the ground invasion, which officials widely indicate is imminent in the coming days. Netanyahu declared, "the next stage is coming," and earlier in the week, he stated that every Hamas member was "a dead man."
The recent escalation began when Hamas fighters broke out of Gaza, carrying out a series of assaults that resulted in the death of more than 1,300 people in Israel – the deadliest attack in the nation's history. Approximately 150 people were kidnapped and taken into Gaza as hostages.
In retaliation, Israel launched thousands of air-strikes against Gaza, a territory under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade and governed by Hamas since 2007. The conflict has claimed the lives of more than 2,300 people.
