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Israeli soldiers are seen in southern Israeli village of Ein Hashlosha on Nov. 20, 2012. One Israeli soldier and one Bedouin have been killed in a rocket attack on a military base near the Gaza border on Tuesday noon, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Tuesday evening. (Xinhua/Jini)
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Navi Pillay said she was "acutely concerned" about Palestinian and Israeli civilians caught up in the ongoing conflict in Gaza and southern Israel, spokesperson Rupert Colville said Tuesday.
"She is dismayed by the marked surge in the number of Palestinian civilians, including women and children, killed and injured over the past 48 hours as a result of Israeli military action," he told a press briefing.
Attacks affecting schools and religious sites, as well as the reported targeting of homes and media outlets during the past 48 hours raised serious concerns about Israel's commitment to its obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law, he said.
The high commissioner called on Israel to scrupulously meet its legal obligations to distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants, and to take precautions and all possible measures to avoid the loss of civilian life and damage to civilian property.
Colville said Pillay strongly supported UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's efforts toward a cease fire agreement, and hoped that any such agreement contained commitments by both sides to respect international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
Marixie Mercado, spokesperson of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), said on Tuesday that children in Gaza were increasingly showing signs of psychosocial distress.
Most UNICEF activities were suspended due to security concerns, but five UNICEF-supported emergency psychosocial teams were visiting children and families affected by the violence in their homes or at hospitals whenever conditions permit, she said.
