UN: Gaza Faces Imminent Large-Scale Bloodshed by ’Israel’

By Staff, Agencies

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees [UNRWA], Philippe Lazzarini, has warned that the "Israeli" occupation entity appears to be planning a “large-scale massacre” in Gaza City amid a strict siege and extensive attacks.

Lazzarini issued the warning after "Israel" threatened all residents of Gaza City, saying that Palestinians remaining there would be considered enemy operatives or collaborators.

The UN official said such statements raise fears of genocide: “[This] is a statement suggesting planned large-scale massacres: killing more women, children, elderly and vulnerable people unable to move out.”

He stressed that no authority has “the license to kill civilians” and cautioned that continued inaction would amount to complicity in what UN investigators have already called genocide.

The remarks come as Gaza faces relentless bombardment and siege.

Hospitals reported that "Israeli" gunfire and airstrikes martyred 12 Palestinians across the territory early Friday, including at least seven in Gaza City.

The Nasser Medical Complex confirmed three more martyrs when a vehicle was hit in Khan Younis.

Civil defense officials in Gaza said the closure of the Rashid coastal road has cut off the only remaining route for food and medicine to reach the city.

According to the New Arab, about 600,000 Palestinians remain trapped in Gaza City under bombardment.

Earlier this week, "Israeli" war minister Yisrael Katz urged Gaza City residents to evacuate, warning of strikes on those who remain. Many, like 24-year-old Hani, refused to flee, fearing permanent displacement.

The Gaza Government Media Office said on Wednesday that "Israeli" occupation forces [IOF] had closed al-Rashid Street, describing it as “one of the vital arteries that civilians rely on for travel between Gaza’s governorates.”

The move further tightened restrictions on movement inside the besieged enclave.

As the "Israeli" aggression escalated, the International Committee of the Red Cross [ICRC] announced it was suspending operations in Gaza City, following a similar halt by Doctors Without Borders [MSF] last week.

Meanwhile, Hamas is reviewing a US ceasefire proposal seen as favoring "Israel" and will announce its stance soon, says official Mohammed Nazzal.

Since October 2023, "Israel’s" war has martyred over 66,225 Palestinians and wounded more than 168,000 in Gaza, with independent estimates putting deaths above 100,000. In one incident, a nurse was shot in the head by an "Israeli drone while treating patients at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.