Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Palestine, warned on Saturday that “Palestinians are in grave danger of mass ethnic cleansing” and called on the international community to “urgently mediate a ceasefire”.
“The situation in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel has reached fever pitch,” Albanese said, adding:
“The United Nations and its Member States must intensify efforts to mediate an immediate ceasefire between the parties, before we reach a point of no return.”
“The international community has the responsibility to prevent and protect populations from atrocity crimes,” Albanese also said.
UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR: Francesca Albanese warned of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in #Gaza, called for an immediate ceasefire.
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— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) October 14, 2023
Since October 2023, over 2,200 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 9,000 wounded, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
On October 12, Israeli authorities issued an order for 1.1 million Palestinians in north Gaza to move to the south within 24 hours, amidst intense bombing.
GAZA MINISTRY OF INTERIOR: 20 Palestinians were killed and 80 injured in Israeli airstrike that targeted a house in the Jabaliya camp.
AL-QASSAM BRIGADES: 9 new Israelis currently held in Gaza were killed by Israeli airstrikes.
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— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) October 14, 2023
Moreover, Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz said that electricity, water and fuel will not be provided to Gaza, which has been under a hermetic Israeli siege for the last 16 years.
“There is a grave danger that what we are witnessing may be a repeat of the 1948 Nakba, and the 1967 Naksa, yet on a larger scale. The international community must do everything to stop this from happening again,” Albanese said, noting that Israeli officials have openly advocated for another Nakba.
#GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: The Ministry of Health in Gaza said that 10 paramedics were killed and 27 others were injured as a result of being directly targeted by the Israeli occupation forces.
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— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) October 14, 2023
“In the name of self-defense, Israel is seeking to justify what would amount to ethnic cleansing,” Albanese stated, calling on the international community to “stop these egregious violations of international law now, before tragic history is repeated”.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
One thing not reported is that this amounts to a land grab. Israel pushing the Palestinians out clears the way for new developments and “settlers.” After what happened recently, however, any “settler” in his right mind would think twice about settling on stolen land. This is reminiscent of the USA expansion westward back in the 1800s. Settlers had a price to pay.