UN rights chief tells Israel to 'stop the carnage' as Gaza City ground assault begins

GENEVA (Reuters) -The U.N. Human Rights Chief called on Israel to immediately stop its ground assault on Gaza City that got underway on Tuesday, saying that evidence was mounting of war crimes, crimes against humanity and possibly more.

"I can only think of what it means for women, for malnourished children, for people with disabilities, if they are again attacked in this way. And I have to say the only response to this is: stop the carnage," High Commissioner Volker Turk told reporters in Geneva.

"Palestinians, Israelis scream for peace. Everyone wants an end to this, and what we see is a further escalation which is totally and utterly unacceptable," he added.

"I call on Israel to stop its wanton destruction of Gaza."

A United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded on Tuesday that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and that top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, incited these acts - accusations that Israel called scandalous.

Turk has not used the term but is under pressure to do so.

Asked if he would consider using the word genocide to describe Israel's actions in Gaza, Turk said: "We see the piling up of war crime after war crime or crime against humanity, and potentially even more. I mean, it's for the court to decide whether it's genocide or not and we see the evidence mounting."

(Reporting by Emma FargeEditing by Madeline Chambers)