 In another act of collective punishment upon the people of Gaza, the Israeli government announced on March 2nd, 2025 that it will resume the blockage of all aid into the Gaza Strip. The decision came as the first phase of the ceasefire expired—Israel refused to proceed with the second phase of the ceasefire, which called for full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Instead, Israel suggested a US-drafted plan to extend the first phase of the ceasefire, a delay tactic which was not outlined in the original ceasefire agreement and indeed, ran contra to the agreement. The already fragile and continuously breached ceasefire agreement was once again violated by Israel. Israel's refusal to begin negotiations on the second phase was largely tied to its refusal allow mobile homes into Gaza despite the responsibility to do so under the agreement. This denial has left infants exposed to harsh winter conditions without shelter, ultimately resulting in the deaths of seven Gazan infants so far. The mobile homes, which as of March 6th have not been allowed to enter, are direly needed as Israel's war on life itself and destruction of most civilian infrastructure has left tens of thousands without shelter. This denial is a clear violation not only of the ceasefire agreement, but also Article II of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, which lists "deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part" as a constituent act of the crime of genocide. Furthermore, Article 14 of Second Protocol to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which proscribe starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, states that "It is therefore prohibited to attack, destroy, remove or render useless, for that purpose, objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, such as foodstuffs, agricultural areas for the production of foodstuffs, crops, livestock, drinking water installations and supplies and irrigation works". To further highlight the illegality of the collective punishment imposed by the Israeli government through its blocking of all aid into the Gaza Strip, Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states "No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited." Israel’s tactics—including the total siege of Gaza, the use of starvation as a weapon of war, and the deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid—have directly created and also exacerbated the humanitarian crisis. The intentional denial of life-saving supplies to a besieged population has led to deaths described as “more silent than those caused by bombs.” According to the UN Children’s Fund, all children under the age of five—an estimated 335,000—now face a severe risk of malnutrition.  Legal Framework and International CondemnationUpon Israel's suspension of humanitarian aid into Gaza, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) stated that this decision will have devastating consequences to the people of Gaza, and that this decision will lead to an increase in collective suffering. Angelita Caredda, NRC's Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, expressed concern over this act of collective punishment, stating that "Humanitarian aid is not a privilege—it is a right" and urged all parties to uphold their obligations under international law to allow the immediate, safe, and sustained entry of humanitarian assistance. Furthermore, Caredda stated that the government of Israel must immediately reverse this decision, and that international actors must do everything in their power to ensure that aid reaches Gaza without any further delay or disruption. "International law is clear: civilians must not be starved, medical facilities must be safeguarded, and humanitarian organisations must be allowed to deliver aid independently and without obstruction." – NRC As the occupying power, Israel is legally bound under Article 59(1) of the Fourth Geneva Convention to allow and facilitate humanitarian relief for civilians in need. The deliberate obstruction of aid constitutes a grave breach of the Convention and a war crime under international law. This new violation of international humanitarian law by Israel must not stand. Deliberately withholding aid from entering the strip amounts to using starvation as a weapon of war, an egregious violation of both Article 54 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and Article 8/2/b/XXV(25) of the Rome Statute, which states "Intentionally using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare by depriving them of objects indispensable to their survival, including willfully impeding relief supplies as provided for under the Geneva Conventions". On March 3rd, Kenneth Roth, former head of Human Rights Watch, further reminded the international community of Israel's duties as an occupying power: to facilitate humanitarian aid. This duty is not being upheld, and indeed, is being actively violated by the Israeli government's policies and by the criminal actions of high ranking members of the IDF such as Brigadier General Yehuda Vach and current Head of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Major General Ghassan Alian. UNICEF has also issued a statement regarding Israel's decision to hinder the flow of humanitarian aid, warning that the decision will lead to devastating consequences for children and families across Gaza who are already struggling to survive. UNICEF warned that preventable deaths were already occurring due to the shortage of humanitarian aid even before Israel's decision to once again halt aid. Food prices in Gaza also began to soar as Israel announced its blockade of aid into Gaza. “While the ceasefire has allowed us to significantly expand lifesaving aid, the level of devastation in Gaza is beyond catastrophic, the ceasefire must hold, and more aid must be allowed in to prevent further suffering and loss of life” – Edouard Beigdeber, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa According to OCHA, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, acute malnutrition cases have been found in 3,000 children and 1,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women since the ceasefire came into effect as of February. These lives are further jeopardized by the Israeli Authorities' decision to halt humanitarian aid.   An Ultimate Reckoning of Legal and Moral ObligationsThe Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor stated that Israel's statements and actions described above confirm Israel's intent to continue the genocide. The group cited these dangerous escalations, including weaponizing starvation as a tool of genocide alongside inflammatory statements by Israeli officials, as a deliberate intent to continue Israel's crime of genocide and impose conditions that threaten the survival of the entire population of Gaza. In one infamous case of incitement of genocide, Israel's Finance minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the opening of the "gates of hell" onto Gaza in a post on X. Euro-Med concluded that the decisions of the Israeli authorities, taken together with the statements of Israeli ministers and Knesset members, reveal a premeditated intent to exterminate the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip. We call on all international organizations and world governments to pressure Israel to reverse this genocidal decision and to allow aid into Gaza as per their obligations under international law and the ceasefire agreement. Israel's impunity is once again causing irreparable damage as it inflicts another dose of collective punishment on the Palestinian population. The Geneva convention and the Rome Statute must be upheld, lest we descend even further into the ruthless barbarism of the past year and a half. UPDATE – Sunday 9 March 2025
A recent development has emerged regarding this article. On Sunday, March 9, 2025, Israel's Energy Minister Eli Cohen ordered a complete cutoff of electricity supply to Gaza in an attempt to pressure Hamas. This additional act of collective punishment will have a devastating effect, especially on water desalination plants in the Strip. The United Nations Human Rights Office released a statement on Friday, stating that “Any denial of the entry of the necessities of life for civilians may amount to collective punishment.” Instead of abiding by international law, Israel is taking even more drastic measures aimed at worsening the lives of the entire population of the Gaza Strip. Comments are closed.
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