UNITED NATIONS
\nIsrael has resumed weaponizing starvation in war-shattered Gaza by breaking from the ceasefire agreement and blocking humanitarian aid, a group of UN human rights experts warned Friday.
\nThe warning came in joint statement from more than 30 UN experts, who said Israel\u2019s blockade of aid deliveries to Gaza is a serious violation of international humanitarian law.Stressing that Israel is once again weaponizing aid, they called it\u2019s move a war crime and a crime against humanity under international law.
\nThe experts noted that as the occupying power, Israel, is obliged to ensure provision of sufficient food, medical supplies and other relief services.Israel halted aid deliveries to Gaza, demanding Hamas accept its terms for extending the ceasefire agreement\u2019s first phase.
\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would \u201copen the gates of hell\u201d in Gaza if all captives were not returned. Gaza has already been devastated by the war that followed the attacks.Hamas rejected the demand, saying that no more captives would be released until the second phase is negotiated.
\n\u201cApart from the cruelty of these statements on the second day of the holy month of Ramadan, these moves are patently unlawful under international law,\u201d the experts said.\u201dAs the occupying power, Israel is always obliged to ensure sufficient food, medical supplies and other relief services.\u201d
\n\u201cIsrael is once again weaponizing aid. These are serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws, and war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute,\u201d they added. Meanwhile, Pakistan has strongly condemned Israel\u2019s decision to block the entry of critical humanitarian aid into Gaza during the holy month of Ramadan,
\nThe Foreign Ministry spokesman issued a statement saying that this latest action is part of Israel\u2019s systematic campaign to deny much needed humanitarian aid to millions of Palestinians in dire need, and called the decision another flagrant violation of international law that threatens the ceasefire agreement.
\nSouth Africa also denounced Israel for blocking the entry of food into the besieged Gaza Strip, saying the regime is using starvation as a weapon of war against the people of Gaza.The South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the international community on Wednesday to hold Israel accountable for preventing food from entering Gaza.
\nOn March 2, Israel announced it was blocking aid deliveries until Hamas accepted its terms for an extension of the ceasefire agreement.Israel has said it wants to extend the first phase of the ceasefire until mid-April. Hamas is against this.
\nThe Palestinian resistance movement has insisted on a transition to the deal\u2019s second phase, which would allow for a permanent end to the Israeli campaign of genocide.In December 2023, South Africa brought a case before the ICJ (International Court of Justice) that argued the actions of the Israeli regime during the war in Gaza breached the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention.
\nSince then, several nations have added their political weight to the proceedings, including Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Spain and Turkey.
\nIn conclusion, the UN experts said, \u201cWe urge nations across the world to recall their own obligations under international law and to act to end this brutal and endless assault on the Palestinian people and their rights, lest the whole world be swept up in this storm of lawlessness and injustice.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS Israel has resumed weaponizing starvation in war-shattered Gaza by breaking from the ceasefire agreement and blocking humanitarian aid, a group of UN human rights experts warned Friday. The warning came in joint statement from more than 30 UN experts, who said Israel\u2019s blockade of aid deliveries to Gaza is a serious violation of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":465860,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-465846","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n