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In mid-March, hostilities in the Gaza Strip reignited as a ceasefire collapsed and Israel enforced a border closure.
As the situation reaches its sixth week, over 2.1 million residents of Gaza are effectively trapped, lacking access to essential necessities such as food, clean drinking water, and vital services.
In recent weeks, Israeli forces have intensified their assaults on civilian infrastructure, targeting residential buildings and refugee camps, resulting in an increased number of casualties and individuals reported missing beneath debris.
Data from the UN Human Rights Office indicates that between March 18 and April 9, Israeli forces launched strikes on housing and temporary shelters for internally displaced persons (IDPs) on 224 occasions across 36 separate incidents.
Concerns Over Civilian Displacement
UN spokesperson Ms. Shamdasani has drawn attention to the alarming rise in attacks against journalists, noting that at least 209 media professionals have lost their lives in Gaza since the deadly Hamas-led attacks in October 2023. This trend is exacerbated by Israel’s ongoing restrictions on international media access to the region.
While she mentioned that temporary evacuations of civilians can be legally permissible under strict conditions, she expressed significant concerns over Israel’s evacuation orders. She emphasized that the “nature and scope of these orders raise serious alarm bells, suggesting an intention to permanently displace the civilian population to establish a so-called buffer zone.”
Furthermore, she asserted, “Permanently displacing civilians from occupied territory constitutes forcible transfer, violating the Fourth Geneva Convention and qualifying as a crime against humanity.”
Allegations of War Crimes
It is crucial for combatants to adhere to international humanitarian laws, which include the principles of distinction—protecting civilians not engaged in hostilities—as well as proportionality and precaution when conducting military operations.
Ms. Shamdasani stated, “Targeting civilians not involved in hostilities deliberately is classified as a war crime, further exacerbating the dire circumstances for Palestinian civilians.”
The OHCHR has consistently warned that employing starvation against the civilian population or employing collective punishment during conflict also constitutes violations of international law.
Additionally, she voiced deep concern that the conditions imposed on Palestinians in Gaza are becoming increasingly incompatible with their continued existence as a group.
As desperation grows, women are seen waiting for essential food supplies at distribution points in Gaza City.
Humanitarian Supplies Stagnate
With pharmaceutical supplies rapidly depleting, essential medical items have accumulated at closed border crossings.
Reports indicate approximately 36 million tons of humanitarian supplies remain stalled in Dubai, pending entry into Gaza, according to Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization’s Representative for the West Bank and Gaza.
The pace of medical evacuations for patients requiring urgent care has significantly declined, and the number of international emergency medical teams on the ground has also diminished, further straining hospitals which already face overwhelming demand, as highlighted by Dr. Peeperkorn.
He called for an immediate reestablishment of medical evacuation routes, stressing the need for restoring the medical referral pathway to the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Source
news.un.org