UN human rights chief Volker Turk on Friday said that “the Israeli Government’s plan for a complete military takeover of the occupied Gaza Strip must be immediately halted”.

Under the plan to “defeat” Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army “will prepare to take control of Gaza City while distributing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population outside combat zones”, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.

Turk said that the plan “runs contrary to the ruling of the International Court of Justice that Israel must bring its occupation to an end as soon as possible, to the realisation of the agreed two-State solution and to the right of Palestinians to self-determination”.
He said Israel should instead allow “the full, unfettered flow of humanitarian aid” and Palestinian armed groups must unconditionally release hostages.

He added that Israel likewise should free “Palestinians arbitrarily detained”.