UN agencies call for adherence to international humanitarian law amid IDF operation in Jenin News
IDF spokesperson's Unit // Public domain
UN agencies call for adherence to international humanitarian law amid IDF operation in Jenin

UN agencies expressed grave concern on Tuesday about Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) operations in Jenin, West Bank, which have led to 10 deaths and approximately 100 injuries so far. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that international humanitarian law must be followed during all military operations.

The UN claims that access to the Jenin refugee camp is restricted due to road destruction and Israeli military checkpoints. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Israeli forces have stopped ambulances from entering the camp, depriving the injured of prompt medical attention.

IDF started a massive “counterterrorism” operation on Monday that included both drone airstrikes and ground raids. If allegations that the IDF attacked journalists and destroyed local roads prove correct, the attacks may violate both Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects the freedom of expression and the press, and Article 3.2 of the Geneva Convention, which deals with the treatment of the injured.

The IDF, on the other hand, has refuted these reports, claiming that the targeted site was a sanctuary for terrorists “using innocent civilians as human shields.”

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk expressed concern about the rising level of violence between Israel and Palestine. According to Volker Turk, frequent airstrikes and property destruction create a slew of international human rights questions. Türk said:

International human rights law sets clear obligations on Israel, as the occupying power, to ensure that all operations are planned and controlled so as to minimize, to the greatest extent possible, resort to force and in particular lethal force. Israel must also ensure timely access to medical care for all those injured.