Gaza: Israel is continuing to use starvation as a weapon of war against civilians in the Gaza Strip, as part of a broader effort to 'inflict genocide' on Palestinians, human rights group Amnesty International said on Thursday.
According to Anadolu Agency, the London-based group, conditions for civilians in Gaza remain catastrophic, especially for children, amid ongoing bombardment, forced displacement, and a lack of access to food, clean water, and medicine. 'Israel's genocide has continued unabated in Gaza,' said Amnesty Secretary General Agnes Callamard. Israel is 'deliberately imposing conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction' for the Palestinians, he added.
Amnesty stated that hundreds of Palestinians have been killed or injured while trying to access aid, either at militarized distribution points or while en route to convoys. The organization accused Israel of operating a 'militarized aid scheme,' managed by the US group Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has not only failed to meet humanitarian needs but has become 'a booby trap for desperate starved Palestinians.' The aid reaching Gaza is 'extremely limited,' with 'hundreds of aid trucks stuck outside Gaza, waiting for an Israeli permit to enter.'
The report highlighted the devastating impact on Gazan children, noting that since October 2023, 'at least 66 children have died as a direct result of malnutrition-related conditions,' and many more have died from preventable diseases exacerbated by malnutrition. Among the victims was four-month-old Jinan Iskafi, who died from severe dehydration and malnutrition.
Amnesty accused the international community of failing to halt Israel's actions in Gaza, thereby risking complicity through 'inaction and ongoing support.' Callamard urged states to fulfill their legal obligations by suspending military support to Israel, banning trade and investment linked to human rights abuses, and imposing targeted sanctions on Israeli officials responsible for crimes under international law. The rights group also called for cooperation with the International Criminal Court, which issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli leaders over war crimes in Gaza.