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A ceasefire should be imposed on Israel, says UN rapporteur

Jul 08, 2024

Gaza [Palestine], July 8: Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, says Palestinians in Gaza have been "trapped in a hell without comparison" since October 8.
"There is no way they can be safe in Gaza. It is shocking to me that there is even a resolution of the UN Security Council ordering a ceasefire and it is still not in place," she told Al Jazeera from Catania, Italy.
"There is no other way to stop this carnage in Gaza other than enforcing a ceasefire [on Israel]," she added. Albanese said she agrees the worldwide reaction to Israel's attack on Gaza has gone quieter in recent weeks after anti-war protests were repressed, including in the West.
People are horrified with what is happening in Gaza and distressed because politicians fail to respond to their demands for action against Israel. "The politics do not align with the street," she said.
"I can see that level of violence and tension is escalating in the past months," said Albanese, but added she doesn't see any "tangible signal" this is going to stop the war despite ongoing truce talks.
Meanwhile, at least 27 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza, marking another grim day as the war on the besieged territory enters its 10th month. One of the attacks since dawn on Sunday targeted a school sheltering displaced people west of Gaza city, killing at least four Palestinians.
In central Gaza, the Israeli army struck a residential building in the al-Zawayda area, killing six people. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said the dead included two children.
The killings came a day after the targeting of a United Nations-run school for displaced Palestinians, in which at least 16 people were killed and dozens wounded.
Paramedics said six other Palestinians were killed in a strike on another house in Gaza City. Israeli jets also targeted a group of civilians on the city's Street 8 in the Sabra neighbourhood, killing at least two people, according to the Wafa news agency.
The Israeli military said it attacked a Khan Younis municipality building in southern Gaza overnight, claiming it was used by Hamas for "military activity".There were no immediate details on the casualties in the Khan Younis attack. Hamas denies allegations that its fighters seek shelter in civilian areas, including schools and hospitals.
Source: Qatar Tribune