The Special Rapporteur for United Nations to the right to food, Michael Fakhrisaid this Tuesday, 27, that Israel “intentionally” kills the population of Gaza Strip by starvation to form a war crimes Oh International Criminal Court (ICC) notes that the deprivation of civilians' livelihoods and the prevention of the entry of humanitarian assistance fall within this violation and genocide.
“There is no reason to deliberately block the passage of humanitarian aid or to deliberately destroy small fishing vessels, greenhouses and orchards in Gaza other than denying people access to food,” he told Britain's The Guardian newspaper.
“Intentionally depriving people of food is clearly a war crime. Israel announced its intention to destroy the Palestinian people, in whole or in part, simply because they are Palestinian. In my opinion, as a UN human rights expert, this is now a genocidal situation. “This means that the State of Israel as a whole is guilty and must be held accountable not just individuals or this government or that person,” he added.
Starvation is considered a war crime in the Geneva Conventions, the Rome Statute and the UN Security Council. In Gaza, 95% of families have reduced the quantity and frequency of meals some of the young children are even no longer fed. In desperation, some parents offer their children animal food to keep them alive.
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Overview of malnutrition
In January, the organization issued a warning about “widespread” hunger in the region. Nutritional surveys conducted in shelters and health centers found that in northern Gaza, where 300,000 people are stranded and unable to access humanitarian assistance, nearly 16% of children under the age of two are malnourished or wasting away.
“What is also surprising is the speed with which malnutrition occurs in young children. The bombings and the direct killing of people are brutal, but this starvation and the wasting and wasting of children is torturous and abhorrent,” condemned Fakhri, a law professor at the University of Oregon. “It will have longterm physical, cognitive and moral impacts on the population. Everything indicates that this was intentional.”
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But food insecurity was already part of everyday life for residents of the Gaza Strip before the war: almost 80% of them were dependent on humanitarian aid due to the blockade imposed by Israel 16 years ago. Fahkri pointed out that “it was already a very fragile situation,” but the start of the conflict resulted in “everyone going hungry because most people were on the edge of the abyss.”
Malnutrition weakens the immune system and thereby increases susceptibility to disease. Between October and January, the World Health Organization (WHO) registered 179,000 cases of acute respiratory infections; 136.4 thousand diarrhea in children under five years old; 55.4 thousand of scabies and lice; and 4,600 cases of jaundice among Palestinians.
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Situation in Rafah
According to the January report, 5% of children under two years of age in Rafah suffered from acute malnutrition. Before the confrontation, the rate in Gaza was 0.8%. The city of Rafah has come under Israel's radar in recent weeks, becoming the target of accusations from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that it is Hamas' last “command stronghold.”
The incessant bombings are being justified by Tel Aviv as a justified response to the militants' surprise attack on October 7 that killed 1,100 Israelis. In contrast, the number of Palestinian victims rises to 30,000.
“Israel will claim that there are exceptions to war crimes. But there is no exception to genocide and there is no argument why Israel destroys civilian infrastructure, the food system and humanitarian workers and allows such levels of malnutrition and hunger,” the expert replied. “The accusation of genocide makes an entire state responsible and the solution to the genocide is the question of the selfdetermination of the Palestinian people.”
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This Monday, the 26th, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) presented a plan to withdraw the residents of Rafah so that the soldiers can continue their operations. Half of Gaza's population has been displaced to the southern city under the previous direction of the Netanyahu government, which is now launching airstrikes there. The new arrivals live there in makeshift tents and there is a shortage of medicine.
+ Netanyahu presents Israel's plan for Gaza after the war ends
No investment
Last month, more than a dozen countries withdrew investments from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) following an alleged scandal involving the involvement of 12 employees nine of whom were fired, two under investigation and one died in the October 7 attacks.
Countries that have cut funding include the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Canada and Japan. Together, the United States and Germany represent 46% of the total, providing $343.9 million and $202 million respectively last year alone.
With 30,000 staff, UNRWA provides food, medical care, education and other essential services to nearly 6 million Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and East Jerusalem. This Friday 23rd, the agency announced the closure of work in the northern Gaza Strip, where food was last delivered five weeks ago.