After Hamas attack: UN criticizes Israel’s blockade of Gaza ZDFheute

The United Nations criticizes Israel’s decision to stop all deliveries of food, water, electricity or gasoline to the Gaza Strip. It is prohibited under international humanitarian law to deprive people of what they need to survive, said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Tuesday in Geneva.

“Sieges that put civilian lives at risk by depriving them of essential supplies are prohibited under international humanitarian law,” Türk said.

The only border crossing from the Gaza Strip to neighboring Egypt was also closed following the Israeli attacks. A security source in Egypt confirmed to the German Press Agency on Tuesday that Egyptian authorities have closed the Rafah border crossing until further notice. The reason for this is the continuous Israeli attacks near the border crossing. The situation at the border crossing is dangerous for civilians and officials. Israel ordered the total closure of the Gaza Strip after the major Hamas attack that left more than 900 people dead in the border area. “There will be no electricity, no food, no water, no gas” in the densely populated Palestinian area, Israeli Defense Minister Joav Gallant said on Monday. The Rafah border crossing is the only crossing in Gaza that is not controlled by Israel. With the closure of the crossing, there are currently no options for people in the Gaza Strip to leave the area.

The major attack by radical Islamist Hamas on Israel is classified by experts as well coordinated – and probably assured by Iran.

October 9, 2023 | 02:32 minutes

It is currently unclear whether humanitarian aid deliveries can get through. On Monday, a representative of the Palestinian embassy in Rafah said that aid deliveries from several humanitarian organizations were ready near the border crossing. Hamas threatened to execute the hostages it had taken to Gaza if Israel attacked the Gaza Strip from the air without warning. According to official information, there are also numerous people with dual citizenship among those kidnapped.

Following its major attacks, Hamas kidnapped more than 100 people to Gaza. Among the victims was a young German man who came to Israel for a music festival.

October 8, 2023 | 02:40 The death toll has now risen to more than 900 on the Israeli side and more than 680 on the Palestinian side of the Gaza Strip, which Israel attacked from the air in retaliation. Thousands of people were injured on both sides. Furthermore, according to the Israeli government, around 150 people were kidnapped by Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip.

According to the UN, the number of refugees in the Gaza Strip has increased dramatically since Hamas’ attack on Israel and subsequent Israeli airstrikes. Since then, more than 187,500 people have fled their homes, the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) reported on Tuesday. Most of them were accommodated in UN schools.

According to the UN, a UN school was also hit and seriously damaged in Israel’s retaliatory strikes in the Gaza Strip. More than 225 people sought safety from attacks. But no casualties were reported, he said.