'The Israeli military must stop shooting at people trying to get food,' says spokesperson
Israel's militarized approach to humanitarian aid in Gaza is exacerbating the suffering of civilians and contributing to a "catastrophic humanitarian situation," the UN human rights office said Tuesday, warning the practice may amount to war crimes.
"Israel's militarized humanitarian assistance mechanism is in contradiction with international standards on aid distribution. It endangers civilians and contributes to the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza," spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told a briefing in Geneva.
Al-Kheetan said Palestinians in Gaza face an "inhumane choice" between starving to death or risking being killed while trying to access food. Since the Israeli-approved Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operating on May 27, "the Israeli military has shelled and shot Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points, leading to many fatalities."
Reportedly, over 410 Palestinians have been killed as a result. At least 93 others are also said to have been killed by the Israeli army while attempting to approach the very few aid convoys of the UN and other humanitarian organizations, he said. According to the spokesperson, at least 3,000 others have been injured in such incidents.
"These killings must be promptly and impartially investigated," he added. "The killing and wounding of civilians resulting from the unlawful use of firearms constitute a grave breach of international law, and a war crime."
The UN human rights office also criticized Israel's "unlawful restrictions" on the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid, saying it had allowed in only a few trucks since March 2.
"The weaponization of food for civilians, in addition to restricting or preventing their access to life-sustaining services, constitutes a war crime and, under certain circumstances, may constitute elements of other crimes under international law," Al-Kheetan said. "The Israeli military must stop shooting at people trying to get food."
Israel must also allow the entry of food and other humanitarian assistance needed to sustain the lives of Palestinians in Gaza in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles, he said.
He called on third states, reminding them of their obligation to take concrete steps to ensure that Israel, the occupying power in Gaza, complies with its duty to ensure that sufficient food and lifesaving necessities are provided to the population.
