Statement on Gaza by Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator

(New York, 27 May 2024) We have said repeatedly that no place is safe in Gaza. Not shelters. Not hospitals. Not the so-called humanitarian zones.

We have also warned that a military operation in Rafah would lead to a slaughter.

We’ve seen the consequences in last night’s utterly unacceptable attack.

Whether the attack was a war crime or a “tragic mistake,” for the people of Gaza, there is no debate. What happened last night was the latest – and possibly most cruel – abomination.

To call it “a mistake” is a message that means nothing for those killed, those grieving, and those trying to save lives.