For nine weeks now, the Israeli authorities have continued to disregard International Humanitarian Law by targeting civilians in their military campaign against Gaza and by blocking all essential humanitarian supplies from reaching the civilians there. Over 2 million people are denied essential food, water, medicines, shelter and other essentials. Bakeries and community kitchens are reported to have been shut, creating severe hunger, with thousands of children and other vulnerable civilians facing starvation, illness, and death.
Furthermore, the announcement of the Israeli government to shut down the existing aid distribution system run by the UN and humanitarian partners and outsource it to a private security company with no humanitarian background will lead to an instrumentalisation of aid, hindering fundamental humanitarian principles and IHL. This is extremely worrying, as is Israel’s recently announced plan to expand its military offensive, which will have unimaginable consequences for Gazan civilians, who have been exposed to relentless bombardment for the past 19 months.
IHL is clear. Under IHL, civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected. Killing and maiming of civilians is a clear crime under IHL. Denying humanitarian access and killing, injuring and detaining humanitarian workers is another clear crime under IHL. What is not clear is – why do world powers continue to allow these crimes to continue?
War against civilians in Gaza must stop. Humanitarian aid must be enabled to reach the civilians caught in a conflict in line with the principles of humanitarian aid.