Bodies of 50 Palestinians, 19 of them children, retrieved from Gaza rubble; humanitarian crisis deepens
NEW YORK CITY: The bodies of 50 people, including 19 children, killed by the war in Gaza have finally been laid to rest after they were recovered from under rubble in recent days, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday.
Efforts to remove debris and retrieve bodies remain severely constrained across the territory by Israeli restrictions on the entry of heavy machinery, spare parts, lubricants and other critical supplies, Dujarric told reporters, as well as restrictions on access to vast areas.
The recovery of bodies came as the UN agency that coordinates humanitarian efforts, OCHA, said it continues to receive reports of Palestinian civilians, including children, who have been killed, injured or otherwise harmed by Israeli air strikes, shelling and gunfire. Dujarric attributed the toll in part to the overcrowded conditions in Gaza.
He reiterated UN calls for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, stressing that they “should never be targeted or used for military purposes.”
