The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights – OHCHR said at least 18 people were killed in the attack. Many others may be buried under the rubble of the three-story building.
The UN chief’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a regular news conference at headquarters that the deaths represented a further escalation of violence.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for strict adherence to international law.
“The public and civil infrastructure must be protected at all times,” the spokesperson said.
Stephane Dujarric noted that the UN chief called for swift mobilization to stop this escalating cycle of violence and end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and move towards a two-state solution.
The only sustainable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the establishment of two states.
“We have to stop the bleeding we’re seeing.”
UN teams and non-governmental organizations are planning to assess the damage and humanitarian needs in the Tulkarm area.
Systematic use of deadly force
The UN human rights office, OHCHR, also condemned the Israeli attack, calling it another example of the lethal use of Israeli forces in the West Bank, where such force was not necessary, excessive and therefore illegal.
“Israel’s complete destruction of an entire building full of people shows a flagrant disregard for its responsibilities,” the UN human rights office said in a statement released on Friday.
The Human Rights Office calls on Israel to conduct a full, swift, independent and transparent investigation into the attack and hold those responsible accountable.
According to the statement, according to the information received from the United Nations Human Rights Office, there was no quarrel or conflict at the scene.
Most of those killed in these attacks were unarmed and were not even searched by Israeli forces. Most of the dead were inside their homes or were passing through the streets.
Israeli forces have claimed to have killed a local Hamas leader, along with seven alleged terrorists who were planning attacks on Israeli settlements.
Very worrying trend
According to the United Nations Human Rights Office, since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have killed 697 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 161 children and 12 women. Among them, 186 people died in Israeli airstrikes.
In the Tulkarem area alone, 174 Palestinians were killed, including 88 in airstrikes.
The Human Rights Office said, “Such cases cannot be allowed to be normalized as a means of law enforcement.
Gaza school attack
Meanwhile, UNRWA, the United Nations aid agency for Palestinian refugees, said on Friday that in the past few days, three of its schools in Gaza have been targeted by Israeli attacks, with 20 people reported killed. 20 thousand people are taking shelter in these schools.
The UN agency said 140 of its schools had been attacked since the Gaza war began on October 7. The agency emphasized that schools are not targets and that neither side can use schools for military purposes.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that about 87 percent of schools in Gaza have been directly targeted or damaged. This includes one-third of UNRWA’s schools.