Omar Shakir, HRW's Israel and Palestine director, condemned Israel's actions, highlighting a deliberate policy of depriving Gaza's population of essential resources like food and water. The report emphasized this strategy as a war crime, a violation of international law.
According to the report's findings, the criminal intent to starve civilians can be inferred from the circumstances of Israel's sustained deprivation of essential resources in Gaza.
From the ground in Gaza, testimonies revealed dire situations, with civilians seeking shelter and medical assistance in the face of Israeli attacks. Voices emerged, accusing Israeli forces of targeting innocent children and committing acts of “genocide”.
Amidst collapsing healthcare systems and catastrophic conditions in northern Gaza, pleas for an immediate ceasefire echoed from medical professionals witnessing the harrowing aftermath. Calls for humanitarian access and urgent cessation of hostilities are gaining urgency.
The UN Security Council is poised to vote on a resolution demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza. The draft text “calls for an urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access in the Gaza Strip for those in need”. This comes after a previous resolution met a US veto on December 8.
The staggering death toll of at least 19,000 Palestinians since October 7 in Israeli attacks underscores the gravity of the situation, intensifying global calls for immediate action to cease the devastating conflict in Gaza.