UN human rights chief condemns Israel's blockade of Gaza

United Nations human rights chief, Volker Turk, strongly condemned Israel's complete blockade of the Gaza Strip. Turk said that this blockade, leading to critical shortages of essential goods for civilians, constitutes a clear violation of international law. He called on all parties involved to collaborate in de-escalating the highly volatile situation. This call for de-escalation is crucial given Israel's warnings of a prolonged conflict aimed at dismantling the Palestinian militant group Hamas.