United Nations Radio

The top UN human rights expert has expressed concern and distress by "the enormous loss of life in the escalating violence in Gaza."

High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pilay

High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, while condemning the rocket attacks by Hamas that led to the death of one Israeli civilian, in a statement also "strongly condemns Israel's disproportionate use of force" in Gaza which has so far resulted in more than 280 dead and the wounding over 600 persons.
Pillay says many of those killed were civilians.
She calls on Israeli leaders to "uphold international humanitarian law principles, especially those relating to proportionality in the use of military force and the prevention of collective punishment and the targeting of civilians."
She also calls on Israel to lift the air, sea and ground blockade it is imposing on 1.5 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, and to allow humanitarian assistance and independent outside monitoring, including the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territories.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

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