The Government Media Office (GMO) in the Gaza Strip accused Israel on Monday of intensifying the suffering of Palestinian children as a result of the ongoing genocide and the oppressive blockade that the occupation state has imposed on the enclave. This has led to the spread of severe malnutrition among more than 65,000 children out of a total of 1.1 million suffering from daily hunger, said the GMO.
“Israel uses starvation and deprivation as a systematic weapon of war against civilians, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,” explained the media office. “The blockade and the ongoing closure of crossings have led to a catastrophic deterioration in health conditions and the spread of severe malnutrition, especially among children and infants.”
Palestinian officials said that they hold Israel fully responsible “for the worsening humanitarian catastrophe and for endangering the lives of hundreds of thousands of children, women and the elderly due to the lack of food, medicine and water.” They also hold the “international community and its institutions responsible for their silence in the face of these crimes and their failure to take deterrent steps to hold the leaders of the Israeli occupation, which is committing its brutal and continuous violations, accountable.”
The GMO called on the international community to take action to prosecute “Israeli war criminals” before international courts to punish them for their multiple crimes, “especially the use of starvation and deprivation as a weapon of genocide” against the Palestinian people and their children. “We welcome the International Court of Justice’s confirmation that the Israeli occupation violates international law through its occupation of Palestinian territories and undermines the rights of our Palestinian people.”
The immediate and unconditional opening of all crossings is essential for “the entry of humanitarian aid, food, medical supplements and medication, especially for children and the sick, to save their lives and end the catastrophic humanitarian situation,” added the GMO.
Israel has blocked the entry of food, relief, medical aid and goods for the Gaza Strip since 2 March, causing a significant deterioration in the humanitarian situation of Palestinians, according to government, human rights and international reports. Such collective punishment is, of course, a crime under international law.
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