TRANSCRIPT
War crimes have been committed by both Israel and Hamas.
That's the assessment of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk.
During a visit to the Rafah crossing in Egypt, Volker Turk described the actions of Hamas in southern Israel on October 7 as "heinous" and has said the evacuation of citizens by Israel is "unlawful".
“They were war crimes as is the continued holding of hostages. The collective punishment by Israel of Palestinian civilians amounts also to war crimes, as does the unlawful forceable evacuation of civilians. Domestic bombardments by Israel has killed, maimed and injured in particular women and children. The latest death toll from the Gaza Ministry of Health is in excess of 10,500 people, including over 4,300 Children and 2800 women. All of this has an unbearable toll on human lives, on civilians.”
Mr Turk says the situation at the Rafah border crossing resembles a living nightmare.
“The Rafah crossing has been the symbolic lifeline for the last month for the 2.3 million people in Gaza. The lifeline has been unjustly, outrageously thin. These are the gates to a living nightmare. A nightmare, where people have been suffocating, under persistent bombardment, mourning their families, struggling for water, for food, for electricity and fuel. My colleagues are among those trapped, and among those who have lost family members, suffering sleepless nights filled with agony, rage and despair."
The United Nations Secretary-General has said that the high number of children's deaths reveals that there is something "clearly wrong" with Israel's military operations in Gaza.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, nearly 10,500 people have lost their lives in the conflict, with 40 per cent of them being women and children.
Antonio Guterres says Hamas is using civilians as human shields.
"There are violations by Hamas when they have human shields. But when one looks at the number of civilians that were killed with the military operations, there is something that is clearly wrong.”
The number of U-N casualties in Gaza has grown to unforeseen levels, with 89 staff members having been killed.
Dominic Allen, from the U-N Population Fund says this is the highest death toll from a single operation in the organisation's history.
"The highest loss of life for the United Nations in one operation in our history. Now, what we've seen over the last month, is more than a humanitarian crisis. It's a catastrophe."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that his country will remain "in control" of Gaza, following the end of the war.
That's not something its major ally the United States supports with White House National Security spokesman John Kirby saying "a reoccupation by Israeli forces of Gaza is not the right thing to do".
Speaking to ABC's 7.30, one of Mr Netanyahu's advisors, Mark Regev says Israel is only interested in maintaining security in Gaza so it can protect itself.
"We don't want to govern the Gaza Strip. We don't want to rule over its population. On the contrary. We're looking at it, together with others. Other contingencies which will allow Palestinians to rule themselves. But it's clear you have to differentiate between political control, which Israel does not want, and a security envelope. A security situation where Israel can protect itself from terrorism."
Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that there is no chance of a ceasefire and the war will not end until all hostages taken by Hamas are returned and Hamas is eradicated.
Over 1,400 people lost their lives during the raids, with over 240 hostages taken.
Here, more than 300 Australian lawyers have signed an open letter to the Prime Minister which calls for the federal government to "exert its influence" in order to guarantee a ceasefire in Gaza.
The letter, which is personally addressed to Anthony Albanese, Attorney General Mark Dreyfus, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and the Defence Minister Richard Marles, also calls for the secure release of the hostages held by Hamas and the pause of all military exports to Israel.
