Starvation Of Palestinians As A Weapon Of War, A War Crime : Ambassador Almassri
By Desire Tshuma
Palestinians mostly children in Gaza are dying from starvation-related complications since the Israeli occupation government began using starvation as a weapon of war, a war crime. The death toll arising from the Israeli genocidal aggression on the blockaded Gaza Strip climbed to 37,202 with notable death as a result of malnutrition and epidemic diseases.
Ambassador Dr. Tamer Almassri said today that the international community should put pressure on Israel to end this war crime, stop this suffering of Palestinian people, and allow humanitarian aid to reach all of Gaza unhindered as the Gaza Strip is turned into a disaster area, with infectious diseases and epidemics spreading in a way that is catastrophic and unprecedented in modern history.
About 60,000 pregnant women in Gaza are also suffering from malnutrition, dehydration and inadequate health care. Poor nutrition during pregnancy harms both the baby and the mother, increasing the risk of miscarriages, foetal deaths, compromised immune system development, growth impacts, and maternal mortality.
The impact on Gaza’s population of the Israeli government’s use of starvation as a weapon of war is compounded by the near-total collapse of the healthcare system. Out of Gaza’s 36 hospitals, only 1 is partially operational as a result of the Israeli military’s repeated, apparently unlawful attacks on medical facilities, personnel, and transport, as well as the severe restrictions on the entry of fuel and other medical supplies.
The International Criminal Court should quickly issue arrest warrants against the Israeli government officials perpetrating these war crimes against the Palestinians and bring them to international justice. The UNSC should also implement the ceasefire resolution to halt the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Ambassador Almassri emphasise the urgent need for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the lifting of Israel’s illegal strict siege, imposed on civilians as a collective punishment. The siege in itself is a war crime, and must be stopped by the international community in order to save the lives of civilians in Gaza, who are supposed to be protected under international humanitarian law.
