GENEVA: The United Nations on Wednesday called the deaths in Israel’s new military strikes on Gaza “appalling,” as it urged all sides not to let peace “slip from our grasp.”
Israel said it had carried out strikes on dozens of Hamas targets following the death of a soldier, with the Gaza Strip experiencing its deadliest night of bombing since a US-brokered truce went into effect earlier in October.
UN rights chief Volker Turk said the attacks had reportedly hit schools, homes and tents for internally displaced people within the Palestinian territory.
“Reports that over 100 Palestinians were killed overnight in a wave of Israeli airstrikes mainly on residential buildings, IDP tents and schools across the Gaza Strip, following the death of an Israeli soldier, are appalling,” he said in a statement.
“The laws of war are very clear on the paramount importance of protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
