UN rights chief 'horrified' by Israeli airstrikes on Gaza

GENEVA (Reuters) - The U.N. human rights chief said on Tuesday he was horrified by Israeli strikes on Gaza which Palestinian authorities say have killed hundreds of people, threatening the complete collapse of a ceasefire with Hamas.

Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he had told the military to take "strong action" against Hamas in response to the group's refusal to release the remaining hostages and because of their rejection of ceasefire proposals.

"I am horrified by last night's Israeli airstrikes and shelling in Gaza, which killed hundreds, according to the Ministry of Health in the strip. This will add tragedy onto tragedy," High Commissioner Volker Turk said in a statement.

"Israel's resort to yet more military force will only heap further misery upon a Palestinian population already suffering catastrophic conditions."

Ajith Sunghay, head of the U.N. Human Rights office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, called the resumption of Israeli bombardments tragic after a two-month respite in the conflict that began on October 7, 2023, with a Hamas-led assault on Israel.

"We're again seeing the scenes of mutilated bodies of children and bodies wrapped in shrouds," he told a Geneva press briefing. "It is unacceptable, even unimaginable, to once again, find ourselves talking about this instead of supporting a path towards meaningful recovery and sustainable peace."

(Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Kirsti Knolle and Alison Williams)

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