November 16th 2024.
According to a recent report by the United Nations Special Committee, Israel's actions in Gaza have been deemed similar to those of genocide, due to the high number of civilian casualties and the use of starvation as a weapon. The committee stated that Israel's siege and obstruction of humanitarian aid, along with targeted attacks on civilians and aid workers, show a deliberate intention to cause harm, death, and suffering to the Palestinian population.
The committee also highlighted Israel's use of AI-assisted targeting, with minimal human oversight, as a major concern. This, combined with heavy bombs, demonstrates a disregard for the obligation to distinguish between civilians and combatants, resulting in unnecessary civilian deaths. The committee also noted that Israeli officials have publicly supported policies that aim to destroy essential resources such as water, sanitation, and food systems, as well as prevent access to fuel.
In response to the report, COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for approving aid shipments into Gaza, stated that Israel does not use hunger as a weapon of war. They claimed that the quantity of aid entering Gaza has significantly increased, and Israel is making immense efforts to facilitate its entry with no limit on the quantity. However, the agency also criticized the UN's distribution of aid, stating that it is neither steady nor effective.
Earlier this year, Israel rejected accusations of genocide made by South Africa, arguing that their military operations were in self-defense and targeted at Hamas, not Palestinians. The UN Special Committee responsible for the report is composed of three member states, including Malaysia, Senegal, and Sri Lanka.
This report comes after the release of a separate report by Human Rights Watch, which detailed Israel's deliberate and systematic campaign of forced mass displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, labeling it a war crime and a crime against humanity. In response, the Israeli military stated that they operate in accordance with international law and issue evacuation orders to protect civilians.
Despite these claims, Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza have described a chronic lack of food and people dying of hunger, leading aid agencies to warn of an impending famine. However, after a US deadline for Israel to improve humanitarian aid expired, the Biden administration assessed that Israel is not blocking aid and therefore not violating US law. The State Department acknowledged that changes were needed but stated that progress had been made, and there would be no disruption to US arms supplies.
This view is in stark contrast to the reality on the ground, where much of the aid that reaches Gaza is not being distributed. One Palestinian, Umm Muhammad Al-At'out, told CNN that she has not received any aid and that her children have died from hunger and thirst. This echoes the concerns raised by the World Health Organization, which warned of an imminent famine in the northern Gaza Strip.
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