Ceasefire Can’t Hide Scale of Destruction in Gaza, UN Warns, as Rights Experts Call for ICC Probe
Even though the international community welcomes the Gaza ceasefire announcement between Israel and Hamas on May 21, 2021 after 11 days of deadly hostilities, Matthias Schmale from the UN relief agency for Palestinians UNRWA draws attention to the scale of destruction in Gaza.
Emphasizing that “the violence had been worse in intensity and terror than 2014”, he stresses that it will not be easy for the Palestinians to go back to normal life in Gaza in the near future, taking into account damaged or destroyed buildings including hospitals, healthcare centers and a water desalination plant, as well as numerous civilian homes. Moreover UN human rights experts highlight that all indiscriminate or deliberate bombardment of civilian homes and infrastructure violate international human rights norms. They also argue that all parties who engage in such attacks must bear individual and State responsibility as appropriate.
