Human Rights Advocate: Preventing humanitarian organizations from reaching Gaza is war crime requiring urgent international action
Sadaida emphasized in a statement to the Palestinian “Shahab” Agency on Saturday that this reflects the Israeli enemy’s insistence on deepening and tightening the siege amid an ongoing war and aggression against the Strip.
He explained that this measure comes in the context of the ongoing aggression and blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip for more than 18 years, which have taken a more aggressive and criminal form over the past two years, especially after more than two years of war whose humanitarian and living effects and repercussions persist to this day.
He pointed to the scale of widespread destruction caused by the Israeli aggression, leading to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of residents who remain without shelter, confirming that preventing the work of humanitarian organizations at this specific timing exacerbates the humanitarian catastrophe, especially with the onset of winter and the increased urgent need for relief aid and basic humanitarian services provided by these institutions.
Human rights advocate Sadaida clarified that targeting the work of humanitarian organizations, whether by preventing the entry of international staff or obstructing the work of local teams, reflects a systematic aggressive approach and constitutes, in essence, an ongoing war crime against the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip, aiming to maintain harsh and unsustainable living conditions.
He noted that these measures, in addition to being a grave violation of international humanitarian law, raise serious questions about the role of the international community and influential countries, and what practical steps they will take in response to this decision, given the existence of clear ceasefire agreements that include provisions related to facilitating humanitarian work and ensuring the flow of aid to the Strip.
He added that the Zionist decision also raises question marks about the role of international mediators and their duty to confront these aggressive policies, work to ensure the continued operation of humanitarian organizations, open crossings, and secure the flow of aid, enabling residents to gradually return to their normal lives amid a severe shortage of basic needs and the worsening daily humanitarian crisis, especially during winter.
Sadaida warned that the continuation of these policies will lead to further humanitarian and living deterioration in the Gaza Strip, calling for urgent and effective international action to stop these violations and ensure the protection of civilians in accordance with the provisions of international law.