Human rights
The closure of the Gaza Strip violates international law
Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City. photo
© Rizek Abdeljawad/XinHua/dpa
In response to the Ham attack, Israel wants to completely cut off the densely populated Gaza Strip from electricity, food and fuel. But can people still survive there?
The United Nations criticizes Israel’s decision to block all supplies of food, water, electricity or gasoline to close the Gaza Strip. It is forbidden under international humanitarian law to deprive people of what they need to survive, said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, on Tuesday in Geneva.
“Sieges that endanger the lives of civilians by depriving them of essential supplies are prohibited under international humanitarian law,” said Türk. “Restricting the freedom of movement of people and goods during a siege can only be justified by military necessity, otherwise this amounts to collective punishment.”
With the measure, Israel responded to the worst massacre in its history, which Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip, carried out in the border area. More than 900 people were killed on Saturday. Army spokesman Daniel Hagari described Hamas on Tuesday as an “IS-like entity.” With the massacre in the border area, Hamas “put itself on the list of the most murderous and barbaric organizations in history.” Israel’s goal is now to destroy the capabilities of the group, which is also classified as a terrorist organization by the EU and USA.
WHO pushes for humanitarian corridor
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for a humanitarian corridor to supply the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. It must be possible to provide people with the essentials, said a WHO spokesman in Geneva. Before the latest escalation, the WHO maintained material storage facilities in the Gaza Strip, but everything has now been used up. The hospitals would not be able to cope with the high number of wounded without further support.
As of Monday afternoon, 13 health facilities in the Gaza Strip had come under fire as a result of Israeli attacks, the spokesman said. Six employees were killed and four were injured. According to Israeli reports, a medic died in attacks by Palestinians in Israel. Under international humanitarian law, health facilities must be protected and protected from attacks, the spokesman said.