KUALA LUMPUR: The Unicef Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) has called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
In a statement, it also called for parties to respect all their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.
This comes after thousands of people including members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) were killed in the war.
"For almost a month, the world has been watching the unfolding situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory in shock and horror at the spiralling numbers of lives lost and torn apart.
"We renew our plea for the parties to respect all their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. We renew our call for the immediate and unconditional release of all civilians held hostage.
"We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. It's been 30 days. Enough is enough. This must stop now," it said.
It added that civilians and the infrastructure they rely on – including hospitals, shelters and schools – must be protected.
They had also called for more aid such as food, water, medicine and fuel to enter Gaza and reach those in need safely, swiftly and at the scale needed.
"In Israel, some 1,400 people have been killed and thousands have been injured, according to Israeli authorities. More than 200 people, including children, have been taken hostage. Rockets continue to traumatise families. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced. This is horrific.
"However, the horrific killings of even more civilians in Gaza is an outrage, as is cutting off 2.2 million Palestinians from food, water, medicine, electricity and fuel.
"An entire population is besieged and under attack, denied access to the essentials for survival, bombed in their homes, shelters, hospitals and places of worship. This is unacceptable," it said.
It cited the Palestine Health Ministry which stated that nearly 9,500 people have been killed, including 3,900 children and over 2,400 women while more than 23,000 injured people require immediate treatment within overstretched hospitals.
Additionally, more than 100 attacks against health care have been reported.
"Scores of aid workers have been killed since Oct 7 including 88 UNRWA colleagues – the highest number of United Nations fatalities ever recorded in a single conflict," it said.
