On Thursday (August, 15th), the UN human rights chief expressed deep concern over the "grim milestone" of 40,000 reported Palestinian deaths in Gaza due to Israel's 10-month military assault. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk accused Israel's military of violating the "rules of war" and attributed the high death toll in Gaza to these actions.

The conflict, which escalated after Hamas's unprecedented attacks on Israel in October, has led to severe casualties. Gaza's health ministry, operated by Hamas, reported that at least 40,005 people have been killed and another 92,401 injured. The ministry has not provided a detailed breakdown of civilian versus combatant deaths.

Turk emphasized that the majority of those killed are women and children, attributing this "unimaginable situation" to Israel's repeated failure to adhere to international war laws. He criticized the extensive destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, and places of worship by the Israeli military and called for an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages held by both sides.

Ceasefire negotiations resumed in Qatar on Thursday amid ongoing violence. The conflict, which began with Hamas's attacks on southern Israel on October 7, resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. Additionally, 251 individuals were seized by Hamas, with 111 still held in Gaza, including 39 who the Israeli military claims are dead.

In response to Turk's comments, Israel's mission in Geneva accused the UN human rights office of spreading "Hamas' propaganda" and failing to distinguish between terrorists and civilians. They criticized Hamas for turning Gaza into a "terrorist stronghold" and argued that the loss of lives on both sides serves Hamas's interests, suggesting that Turk's statement only emboldens the group.