UN human right chief says expanded Israeli operations in Gaza takes pain to 'a new level'

Palestinians pass by the destruction after the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Rafah on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali)

The top United Nations human rights official condemned the expanded Israeli operations in Gaza, saying the bombardment and incursions have taken the crisis to "a new level of violence and pain." 

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk’s comments came in a statement Saturday as Gaza remained cut off from the outside world following a communication blackout. Turk said U.N. workers on the ground in Gaza lost contact with the agency. 

He said the communication blackout has added to the misery and suffering of civilians in the Palestinian territory, with ambulances and civil defense teams no longer able to locate the wounded.

"The humanitarian and human rights consequences will be devastating and long-lasting,” Turk said. “Given the manner in which military operations have been conducted until now, in the context of the 56-year-old occupation, I am raising alarm about the possibly catastrophic consequences of large-scale ground operations in Gaza and the potential for thousands more civilians to die.”