Algerian Radio
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, affirmed yesterday, Thursday, that the Zionist occupation's measures in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip—including military operations leading to displacement—aim to bring about a "permanent demographic change".
In a speech before the UN Human Rights Council, Türk stated that the Zionist measures "aim to bring about a permanent demographic change in Gaza and the West Bank, raising fears of ethnic cleansing".
The UN official specifically pointed to the Zionist military aggression that has been ongoing for over a year in the northern West Bank, which has resulted in the displacement of 32,000 Palestinians.
Türk stated that the humanitarian situation remains precarious, as the Zionist occupation continues to hinder the humanitarian community's ability to deliver food, shelter, fuel, medical supplies, and other essential items.
He strongly condemned the Zionist occupation's decision late last year to suspend the operations of nearly 37 aid organizations in Gaza, and to ban UNRWA's operations while demolishing its headquarters in East Jerusalem, in flagrant violation of international law.
He added that "the situation in the West Bank is particularly alarming," issuing a warning regarding the deteriorating conditions there. He pointed out that recent Zionist measures, which expand the scope of land confiscation, entrench the annexation of Palestinian land, which is a flagrant violation of the Palestinian people's right to self-determination.
The cities, towns, and camps of the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem witness daily raids and incursions by Zionist occupation forces. These actions are accompanied by clashes, arrests, and the firing of live ammunition, rubber bullets, and toxic tear gas canisters targeting Palestinian youths.
The death toll from the Zionist aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has risen to 72,082 martyrs and 171,761 injured, the majority of whom are women and children, according to the Palestinian health authorities.
For over two years, the Zionist occupation has been committing genocide in Gaza, characterized by mass killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, while ignoring international pleas and the orders of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to halt these atrocities.
