Human Rights Watch reported on Monday that the Israeli government uses the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in the occupied Gaza Strip, which constitutes a war crime.
The rights group noted that the Israeli defense forces have been preventing the delivery of water, food, and fuel to Gaza while they deliberately obstruct humanitarian aid. Israeli forces appear to be bulldozing agricultural areas and depriving civilians of essential resources necessary for their survival.
It was highlighted that Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Energy Minister Yisrael Katz, have made public statements expressing their intent to deny Gazan civilians food, water, and fuel. These statements are reflected in military operations conducted by the Israeli forces.
The situation is such that other Israeli officials have stated openly that humanitarian aid to Gaza will be conditional, either on the release of detainees held by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), or on the destruction of the movement.
Policy and Deprivation
Omar Shakir, Director of Israel and Palestine Affairs at Human Rights Watch, remarked, "For more than two months, Israel has deprived Gazans of food and water, a policy encouraged by high-ranking Israeli officials, or endorsed by them, and it reflects an intention of using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare."
Shakir called on world leaders to raise their voices against this heinous war crime which has devastating effects on the population of Gaza. Displaced residents from the Gaza Strip described the severe difficulties they face in securing basic necessities to Human Rights Watch.
One man who left northern Gaza shared, "We had no food, no electricity, no internet, nothing at all. We have no idea how we survived."
In southern Gaza, people interviewed mentioned the rare availability of drinkable water and the lack of food which led to empty stores, long queues, and exorbitant prices. A father of two stated that one must consistently search for necessary items to live.
The United Nations World Food Programme reported on December 6 that 9 out of every 10 families in northern Gaza and two out of every three families in southern Gaza had spent at least one full day and night without food.
The Israeli military operations in Gaza also had a destructive impact on its agricultural sector. According to Oxfam, continuous bombing alongside the scarcity of fuel and water, coupled with the displacement of more than 1.6 million people to southern Gaza, has made agriculture nearly impossible.
For 74 consecutive days, the Israeli army has waged a devastating war against Gaza, which had resulted in the deaths of 19,453 Palestinians, along with 52,286 injured, most of whom were children and women, up to Monday. This has also caused massive destruction to infrastructure and an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, according to Palestinian and international sources.
