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by IMEMC News
Aug 21, 2025

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has issued a stark warning that Israel’s declared intent to seize full control of Gaza City and forcibly displace its population will result in mass civilian deaths, the collapse of essential infrastructure, and the replication of military tactics previously used in North Gaza and Rafah.

In a statement from Geneva, OHCHR condemned the intensifying military operations in eastern and southern Gaza City—particularly in the Zeitoun neighborhood—which have forced hundreds of families to flee under extreme duress. Many remain trapped, cut off from food, water, and medical aid, with no safe refuge available.

The UN office stressed that this mass displacement violates international humanitarian law, specifically the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the forced transfer of civilians under occupation.

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It urged all States party to the Geneva Conventions to exert maximum pressure to halt the offensive, warning that the operation risks triggering an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe and permanently erasing Palestinian life from Gaza’s largest urban center.

OHCHR has documented repeated attacks on residential buildings, shelters, and public facilities in Gaza City, resulting in high civilian casualties—including children and entire families.

The destruction of Gaza’s urban core is already underway, and the scale of suffering is likely underreported due to the collapse of communication and relief systems.

Despite Israeli directives for civilians to relocate to areas such as Al-Mawasi, strikes have continued on shelters and tents in those zones, leaving displaced populations with no viable refuge.

The UN emphasized that the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure and the forced displacement of entire communities—without provisions for shelter, sustenance, or return—constitute grave breaches of international law.

The OHCHR called for immediate international action to prevent further loss of life and to preserve the remnants of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, warning that failure to act will result in irreversible consequences for the Palestinian population.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, stressing the urgent need to halt the escalating violence and prevent further civilian suffering.

He emphasized that all hostages held in the region must be released without conditions, and that military operations targeting Gaza will inevitably lead to widespread death and destruction.

Guterres warned that any expansion of Israeli military activity in Gaza City poses a grave threat to civilian life and risks deepening an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

He urged all parties to prioritize the protection of civilians and to uphold international humanitarian law.

Guterres also condemned Israel’s recent decision to expand the construction of illegal colonies in the occupied West Bank, describing it as a move that would fragment Palestinian territory and undermine prospects for peace.

The Secretary-General reiterated that all forms of settlement activity in occupied land constitute a violation of international law and must be halted immediately.

His remarks come amid growing international concern over the scale of displacement, destruction, and loss of life in Gaza, as well as the broader implications of colonialist expansion for the viability of a two-state solution.