Since 2 March, the Gaza Strip has been under a stifling siege following the Israeli occupation’s closure of all border crossings. This has led to a complete halt of humanitarian aid and food supplies entry, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).
Due to the ongoing stifling siege on Gaza, the prices of basic food items have soared by more than 200%, with some traders beginning to withhold goods due to the lack of any foreseeable supply replenishment.
Despite the WFP having food stock that could support bakeries and communal kitchens in the strip for a month, a shortage of cooking gas forced six out of 25 bakeries to shut down by 8 March.
The UN programme confirmed that it has 63,000 metric tonnes of food allocated for Gaza, which is sufficient to support 1.1 million people for up to three months, however these supplies remain trapped outside the Strip, awaiting Israeli authorisation for entry.
The closure of crossings and the prevention of aid deliveries amount to collective punishment, prohibited under Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits punishing civilian populations for acts they did not commit. Article 23 of the same convention stipulates that humanitarian supplies, particularly food and medical aid, must be allowed to pass without any obstruction.
Furthermore, this siege is categorised as a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which criminalises the deliberate starvation of civilians as a method of warfare. By disabling the water desalination plant in central Gaza, the Israeli occupation continues to violate Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which guarantees every human being’s right to food and water.
Human rights organisations and international courts must act urgently to document these violations and push states that are party to these conventions to exert pressure on the Israeli occupation to comply with international law. The continuation of this siege not only endangers civilian lives but also redefines the silence of the international community as a form of complicity.
