SG Jan Egeland in Gaza  

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“I am shaken to my core by seeing and hearing of the suffering across Gaza. The civilian population is deeply traumatised as they tell me of multiple displacements and now living on top of each other in an overcrowded Rafah, all the way to the south of Gaza. They are living in constant fear amid the looming threat of an Israeli ground operation. They find themselves at their last refuge in Gaza, with diminishing options for safety. I have never in all my years as a humanitarian worker seen such an intense bombardment over so many days with such a trapped population without any escape.

“Israel and its allies - including the United States, United Kingdom and Germany - continue to provide political and military support for warfare that has already claimed more than 30,000 lives. This must end. Civilians on either side cannot be used as bargaining chips. It is essential that Hamas immediately release all hostages, and that Israel lifts the siege on Gaza.