U.S. Secretary of State Blinken and UN Human Rights Chief Turk Call for Action to Address Palestinian Deaths in Gaza Conflict

Accident – Death – Obituary News : U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for more action to save lives and provide aid to Palestinians in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Speaking in New Delhi on Friday, Blinken acknowledged Israel’s efforts to minimize civilian casualties but emphasized that more needs to be done. He suggested longer “humanitarian pauses” and increased assistance to Gaza as potential solutions.

Blinken’s comments come as United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk called for an investigation into what he described as Israel’s “indiscriminate” bombardment and shelling in densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip. Turk urged Israel to end the use of such methods and means of warfare, citing concerns that civilian casualties may be a breach of international humanitarian law.

The Israeli military is continuing its offensive against Hamas militants, pushing deeper into urban neighborhoods. The fighting has led to a growing number of civilians fleeing south and seeking shelter in hospitals. The World Health Organization reported that 20 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are no longer functioning, including a pediatric hospital that was reportedly hit by an Israeli strike.

Gaza’s largest city is the primary target of Israel’s campaign against Hamas, which was triggered by a deadly incursion in southern Israel on October 7. The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza has reported that over 10,800 Palestinians have been killed in the war, including more than 4,400 children. In the occupied West Bank, over 160 Palestinians have been killed, while over 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, most of them in Hamas attacks.

In related news, the far-right leader of France’s National Rally party, Marine Le Pen, has sparked controversy with her plan to march against antisemitism. Clashes over the Israel-Hamas war have also disrupted the sense of safety on college campuses in the United States. Meanwhile, Jewish refugees from Israel have found refuge and companionship in a countryside camp in Hungary.

The World Health Organization has reported that more than half of Gaza’s hospitals are no longer operating, including a pediatric hospital that was hit in an Israeli strike. The organization has called for an end to attacks on hospitals, emphasizing that they should never be targeted.

Albania has offered a plan at the Paris Peace Forum to end the Gaza conflict, calling for the safe release of all hostages held by Hamas following a ceasefire. The plan also includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the facilitation of reconstruction and a transition of governance from Hamas to the Palestinian Authority.

Lebanon’s militant group Hezbollah has reported that seven of its fighters have been killed, although it did not specify where they died. Hezbollah has been fighting alongside Syrian government forces in Syria and has been involved in clashes with Israeli troops along the Lebanon-Israel border since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

The Israeli military has announced the arrest of 41 Palestinians in a large-scale raid in the occupied West Bank. The military said that 14 of those arrested were militants and that the homes of two militants who carried out an attack in August were destroyed. Israeli forces also sealed a shop in Hebron that was allegedly used to print “incendiary material for Hamas” and confiscated weapons in three West Bank refugee camps.

United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk has called for an investigation into Israel’s “indiscriminate” attacks in densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip. Turk emphasized that Israel must end the use of such methods and means of warfare and that the attacks must be investigated. He also noted that strikes on and near hospitals have been particularly intense.

The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon has stated that the Israel-Hamas war has caused significant damage in the country. He noted escalating tensions along the border and alarming attacks that have killed and injured civilians. The conflict has also led to the displacement of over 25,000 people and damage to private property, public infrastructure, and farmland..