UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the public display of coffins bearing the bodies of four hostages in Gaza while they were being taken to Israel as "abhorrent and appalling."
"We have seen how Hamas handed over the bodies of a mother and two children from the Bibas family, as well as that of an 84-year-old man," said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for Guterres, on Thursday.
"I can tell you that the Secretary-General condemns the parading of bodies and displaying of the coffins of the deceased hostages in the manner seen this (Thursday) morning, which is abhorrent and appalling."
The symbolic transfer of the bodies to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was done in front of a crowd of spectators in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The black coffins, subsequently covered with white sheets by the ICRC, held the bodies of Shiri Bibas, her two young children—9-month-old Kfir and 4-year-old Ariel—and Oded Lifshitz. They were all killed while under hostage before their bodies were surrendered to Israel, a report by Xinhua news agency indicated.
UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric stressed that, according to international law, the transfer of the dead must respect the ban on cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment while maintaining the dignity of both the dead and their families.
"The Secretary-General reiterates his appeal to the parties to abide by their commitments and continue the full implementation of the ceasefire and hostage release deal," the spokesman said.
"He urges the parties to the conflict to respect the remains of the dead and to return them to their relatives, consistent with applicable obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law."
Dujarric reaffirmed that the United Nations has repeatedly urged the release of all hostages, the imposition of a permanent ceasefire, and substantial progress toward a two-state solution.
In southern Gaza, meanwhile, International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director-General Amy Pope visited various locations to meet with residents who require shelter assistance.
Pope was accompanied by Muhannad Hadi, the UN's humanitarian coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, when they met with humanitarian partners and senior UN agency officials to hear about relief efforts underway.
"Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the scale-up of humanitarian assistance in Gaza continues," the spokesman said.
"Since the ceasefire came into effect, we and our partners have reached nearly everyone in Gaza with food parcels, with most families receiving more than one month of rations."
Dujarric said that the United Nations is preparing to fund the third phase of the polio vaccination drive in Gaza, which resumes this Saturday.
He also cited the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warnings, pointing out that the conditions in Gaza at present—characterized by overcrowded shelters and compromised water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure—are extremely conducive to the continued spread of the poliovirus.
"Also, we and our partners are helping health facilities across Gaza restore their services and increase capacity," he said.
"WHO is supporting with supplies and equipment, ensuring a three-month stock."
Dujarric has announced that Kamal Adwan Hospital has opened its outpatient clinic in North Gaza.
He added that the UN Population Fund delivered almost 2,400 postpartum kits to all hospitals providing maternity services in the last two weeks.
In the West Bank, Dujarric said that the Humanitarian Fund for the Occupied Palestinian Territory this week rerouted funding from ongoing projects to distribute cash aid, rental assistance, and core commodities, including food, to assist Palestinian families forced to flee by continued military operations.
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