By Olivia Le Poidevin

GENEVA (Reuters) – The top U.N. expert on Palestinian rights, Francesca Albanese, said Israel was trying to make Gaza City unliveable in its assault on the enclave’s largest urban area and was endangering the lives of Israeli hostages.

“Israel is bombing using unconventional weapons … it is trying to forcibly evacuate Palestinians. Why? This is the last piece of Gaza that needs to be rendered unliveable before advancing the ethnic cleansing of that piece of land,” Albanese told reporters in Geneva.

The Permanent Mission of Israel to the U.N. rejected Albanese’s comments.

“Her numerous statements have showcased her willingness to go to extreme lengths in (the) delegitimization of the State of Israel,” the Mission said in a statement.

“According to her, Hamas doesn

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