Geneva, United Nations experts have strongly condemned an incident where Israeli forces killed at least 112 Palestinians gathered to collect flour in Gaza, labeling it a “massacre.” This event underscores a broader campaign that has led to inevitable starvation and the destruction of the local food production system in Gaza. They accuse Israel of intentionally starving the Palestinian population since October 8, targeting civilians seeking humanitarian aid, and attacking humanitarian convoys.
According to Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the attack on Palestinians in southwest Gaza City on February 29 was part of a pattern of violence against civilians trying to receive aid. This pattern includes over 14 incidents of shooting, shelling, and targeting by Israeli forces from mid-January to the end of February 2024. Despite sharing coordinates with the Israeli forces, humanitarian aid convoys have been fired upon on several occasions. The situation deteriorated further after the International Court of Justice’s January ruling, which recognized the plausibility of Israel committing genocide and ordered it to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. Despite this, compliance has been significantly lacking, with a marked decrease in the number of trucks allowed into Gaza.
The experts highlighted the severe consequences of these actions, including the deaths of fifteen children from malnutrition at Kamal Adwan Hospital and the high risk of severe malnutrition among all children under five in Gaza. They expressed alarm at the rapid and complete suffering of Gaza’s civilian population, predicting that widespread famine is imminent.
In light of recent negotiations between Hamas and Israel, which proposed a 40-day ceasefire including commitments by Israel to allow entry of trucks and delivery of essential supplies, the experts warned against using humanitarian aid as a bargaining chip. They stressed that providing humanitarian aid is a basic obligation that should be met unconditionally. The experts reiterated calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire to prevent or end the famine in Gaza and called for an arms embargo and sanctions on Israel to ensure respect for human rights and stop violations of international humanitarian law.