Painting a dismal picture of Gaza under attack from Israel, senior UN officials gave grim statistics that 40 per cent of about 900 Palestinians killed and 3,820 wounded were women and children.
The officials "horrified and appalled" by the figures, expressed concern that neither Hamas nor Israelis are honouring the binding Security Council resolution called for immediate ceasefire.
"Behind those statistics that we read out every day is really profound human suffering and grave tragedy for all involved and not just for those who are killed and injured but for their families as well," UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Director of Operations John Ging told a news conference in New York.
Speaking by video link from Gaza after he had just visited the main Al Shifa hospital he said, "(It) is the place of course where you see the most horrific human consequences of this conflict. Among the tragic cases that I saw were a child, six years of age, little or no brain activity, people don't have much hope for her survival; multiple amputee – another little girl; and a pregnant woman who'd lost a leg."
The Israeli offensive went into its 17th day with the stated aim of ending Hamas rocket attacks into Israel.
"The hospital is really full of patients whose lives have been in many instances really destroyed, and they're alive."
The Lok Sabha Speaker said that he had decided to retire from electoral politics and would not seek re-election.
"I have already said I will retire from electoral politics and will not contest the Lok Sabha election," Chatterjee said.
He said after retirement from electoral politics he would engage himself in social work and construct a residence at Bolpur.
The 79-year-old former CPI(M) leader said he had served the party for a long and had accepted the party's decision to expel him.
Shortly after the Congress-led UPA won the confidence vote in the Lok Sabha in July last year, the CPI(M) had expelled Chatterjee for disobeying party whip.
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