The Arab League on Wednesday voiced deep concern over the continuing Israeli violations in the occupied Palestinian territories, saying they appeared to form a pattern targeting civilians, journalists and humanitarian institutions.
The statement came on the first anniversary of an Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis that killed five Palestinian journalists, according to the league.
The league’s general secretariat said the incident highlighted ongoing policies that put civilians and media workers at risk, stressing the need to protect journalists and ensure accountability for violations against them, MENA reported.
It also condemned Israeli measures aimed at evacuating and demolishing facilities belonging to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, in Kafr Aqab, north of occupied Jerusalem.
Targeting UNRWA facilities constituted a direct attack on a United Nations institution that plays a vital role in supporting Palestinian refugees, the statement said. It added that such measures contradicted an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice calling for respect for the work of the United Nations and its agencies in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Arab League further warned that restrictions on humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip were worsening living conditions, particularly for children.
Citing recent data from the UN children’s agency UNICEF, it pointed to rising malnutrition and shortages of suitable food among children in Gaza, and called for sufficient and sustained aid deliveries, the opening of crossings and an expansion of the humanitarian zone.
The league said the continuation of violations without accountability was deepening the humanitarian crisis and widening the gap between international law and its enforcement, undermining confidence in the credibility of the international system.
