Humanitarian crisis worsened in central and northern Gaza after Israel had resumed its offensive against Hamas in early October, according to AP News.
However, humanitarian experts say almost the entire population of Gaza is suffering from starvation. On Thursday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of using “starvation as a method of warfare.”
Hundreds of thousands of people are taking refuge in the city of Deir al-Balah. Local bakeries closed for five days this week, with the price of a bag of bread rising above $13 by Wednesday as bread and flour disappeared from shelves until more supplies arrived.
The UN humanitarian office also warned of a “stark increase” in the number of households experiencing severe hunger in central and southern Gaza. This could be linked to the robbery of nearly 100 truckloads of humanitarian aid last weekend in southern Gaza. Israel blamed Hamas, whereas the group said local bandits were behind the robbery.
Meanwhile, Israel says it places no limits on the amount of aid flowing into the Gaza Strip. It also blames UN agencies for not retrieving it, pointing to hundreds of trucks languishing on Gaza’s side of the border. The UN says less than half of the trucks are actually distributed due to the ongoing fighting, Israel’s denial of movement requests and violations of law and order.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 44,000 Palestinians throughout the Isreel-Hamas war. In October, the US warned Israel that it might be forced to cut some of its military support if Israel did not increase the amount of humanitarian aid flowing into Gaza.
Reaction to arrest warrants
Along with the UN, world politicians also condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza. Former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte blamed the crisis in the Middle East not only on the direct participants in the conflict, but also on those who “did not do enough to prevent it.”
While a cowardly policy continues to bury its head in the sand, the International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant after the carnage of Palestinians in Gaza: approximately 44,000 victims, half of them women and children.
US Senator Bernie Sanders supported the ICC’s decision on Thursday to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. Sanders stated that the ICC charges were “well-founded,” emphasising the importance of the Geneva Conventions.
If the world does not uphold international law, we will descend into further barbarism. I agree with the decisions of the ICC.
However, outgoing US President Joe Biden, who recently allowed Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with long-range ATACMS missiles, condemned the ruling.
The ICC issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous. Let me be clear once again: whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas.
The ICC said Thursday it had “found reasonable grounds” to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant “bear criminal responsibility” for “the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts.”
