GENEVA - Six months since the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza, Palestinians across the strip are still unsafe, as Israeli attacks continue routinely, said UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk.
"The unrelenting pattern of killings reflects continuing disregard for Palestinian lives, enabled by sweeping impunity," the High Commissioner said.
At least 32 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since early April, as airstrikes, gunfire, and shelling persist daily across Gaza, bringing to 738 the number of Palestinians killed since a ceasefire came into effect on 10 October 2025, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
"For the past 10 days, Palestinians are still being killed and injured in what is left of their homes, shelters and tents of displaced families, on the streets, in vehicles, at a medical facility and a classroom," Türk said.
Victims include women, children, people with disabilities, a humanitarian contractor, and a journalist.
On 9 April, Ritaj Rihan, a third grade schoolgirl, was killed as Israeli military forces opened fire on the crowded tent encampment housing her makeshift classroom, in Beit Lahiya, North Gaza.
On 8 April, the Israeli military used a drone to target and kill Al Jazeera journalist Mohamed Washah in Gaza City, later issuing a statement claiming he had been a Hamas operative. This is the same basis Israel has invoked in many similar killings of journalists in Gaza, with no independently verifiable evidence to substantiate the claim. Washah is the 294th Palestinian journalist to be killed by Israeli forces since 7 October 2023 as verified by UN Human Rights Office. In the meantime, Israel continues to enforce a blanket ban on independent access to Gaza by international journalists.
On 6 April, Israeli forces shot at a car transporting World Health Organisation workers, killing the driver. As of early April, 589 aid workers have been killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023, including 397 UN staff and team members.
"The number of journalists and humanitarian personnel killed in Gaza is unprecedented, and further compounds civilian harm as it makes reporting on the situation and responding to its humanitarian implications life-threatening," Türk said. "Movement itself has become a life-threatening activity. Incidents of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces while walking, driving, or standing outside are recorded nearly every day."
Israeli forces also continue to kill Palestinians apparently for their proximity to the so-called "yellow line" - the Israeli forces' shifting and poorly marked deployment line which cuts through Gaza. "Targeting civilians not taking direct part in hostilities is a war crime, regardless of their proximity to deployment lines," said the High Commissioner.
The suffering has been further exacerbated by persistent Israeli restrictions on the entry and flow of desperately needed humanitarian aid, destruction of civilian infrastructure, the targeting of law enforcement and civil administration structures, and the increasing violence by Palestinian armed actors reportedly backed by the Israeli military.
"Palestinians have no blueprint for survival: whatever they do or don't do, wherever they go or don't go, there is no safety or protection afforded to them. It is hard to square this with a ceasefire," said Türk, pointing to the killing of over 700 Palestinians and injuries to over 2,000 others in the last six months.
"After two-and-a-half years of repeated crimes under international law, committed with sweeping impunity, and tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians killed, the international community must move beyond words," the UN Human Rights Chief said. "It must undertake meaningful actions to end Israel's ongoing violations of international law, ensure accountability for crimes committed by all parties, and guarantee that Palestinians are able to start the recovery and rebuilding of their homes and community."
