NEW YORK, Dec 18 (KUNA) -- The collective punishment of the Palestinian people and the relentless bombardment of Gaza by Israeli forces is horrific and unjustifiable, a high-level United Nations official told the Security Council on Wednesday.
"Ceasefire is long overdue," said Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the United Nations Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, added.
Since 7 October 2023, more than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to Gaza's health ministry.
International humanitarian law always applies to all parties to a conflict, and its application does not depend on reciprocity, he went on to say.
The protection of civilians is paramount. There must be full accountability for any atrocity crimes that have been committed, he added, also condemning the looting of aid and calling for a full investigation into such acts.
He further reiterated that all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including the occupied East Jerusalem, "have no legal validity" and are in flagrant violation of international law. Such acts are provocative, he added, calling on the Government of Israel to cease such settlement activities immediately. (end) ast.ibi