The U.N. aid chief on Friday said he was "deeply alarmed" by Israeli ministers' statements about "plans to encourage the mass transfer" of Palestinian civilians from the Gaza Strip to third countries and he called anew for a ceasefire.
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"Unless we act, it will become an indelible mark on our humanity," Martin Griffiths, the U.N. undersecretary for humanitarian affairs, told the U.N. Security Council. "I reiterate my call for this council to take urgent action to bring this war to an end."
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United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths
(Photo: Reuters)
The "horrific" situation created by the "relentless" Israeli operation can be seen in the displacement of 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians "forced to flee again and again as the bombs and missiles rain down," Griffiths continued.
"We are deeply alarmed by recent statements by Israeli ministers regarding plans to encourage the mass transfer of civilians from Gaza to third countries, currently referred to as 'voluntary relocation,'" he said.
Such statements, Griffiths said, raise concerns "about the possible forced transfer or deportation of the Palestinian population from the Gaza Strip" in violation of international law.