JERUSALEM (AFP) — The United Nations on Friday cited witnesses saying Israeli forces evacuated about 110 Palestinians into a house which they then repeatedly shelled 24 hours later, killing about 30 people.
It said that "according to several testimonies, on 4 January Israeli foot soldiers evacuated approximately 110 Palestinians into a single-residence house in Zeitun (half of whom were children) warning them to stay indoors. Twenty-four hours later, Israeli forces shelled the home repeatedly, killing approximately 30."
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) called it "one of the gravest incidents since the beginning of operations" by Israeli forces in Gaza on December 27.
"Those who survived and were able walked two kilometres to Salah Ed Din road before being transported to hospital in civilian vehicles. Three children, the youngest of whom was five months old, died upon arrival at the hospital," OCHA said in a report on the situation in the battered Gaza Strip.
Asked for comment an Israeli military spokesman said the allegation was being investigated as were other claims that civilians were fired upon and that troops failed to help wounded civilians.
The report came as the UN Human Rights Council was due to hold Friday a special session on the conflict in Gaza Strip to examine a motion by Egypt, Pakistan and Cuba seeking condemnation of the Israeli offensive and of "grave" violations.
The three countries, backed by members of the Arab League, Organisation of Islamic Conference, non-aligned and African states, gained the support of 32 of the 47 Council members for the special debate, twice as much as required.
An unofficial copy of the draft resolution expected to be presented to the world body's rights assembly called for "international action to put an end to grave violations by the occupying power, Israel, in the occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in the occupied Gaza Strip.
It also demanded an immediate end to the military operation and that Israel "stop the targeting of civilians".
The session comes on the heels of the near unanimous approval on Thursday by the 15-member UN Security Council to a resolution calling for an "immediate, durable" ceasefire leading to the "full withdrawal" of Israeli forces.