Israel has been depriving Gaza's population of food and water for over two months to starve civilians as a method of warfare, according to an investigation by Human Rights Watch
“World leaders must condemn this abhorrent war crime, which is devastating Gaza's population,” stressed Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch.
The organization conducted interviews with 11 displaced Palestinians in Gaza between November 24 and December 4, who described the profound hardships in securing basic necessities. One man who had left northern Gaza stated, “We had no food, no electricity, no internet, nothing at all. We don’t know how we survived.”
"Israeli military forces deliberately block the delivery of water, food, and fuel, simultaneously obstructing humanitarian aid, evidently destroying agricultural lands, and depriving the civilian population of essential items for survival," the statement stressed.
HRW also called on the Israeli government to cease using the starvation of the civilian population as a "method of warfare" and to lift the "blockade" on the Gaza Strip. The organization urged the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and other countries to suspend military aid to Israel.
"The government of Israel must restore access to water and electricity, as well as permit the entry of critically needed food, medical assistance, and fuel into Gaza, including through the Kerem Shalom border crossing," the organization stated.
In southern Gaza, individuals interviewed by HRW officials described the scarcity of potable water, empty shops due to a lack of food, lengthy lines, and exorbitant prices, as people are "on a constant search for things needed to survive." The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) reported on December 6 that nine out of ten households in northern Gaza and two out of three households in southern Gaza had spent at least one full day and night without food.
International humanitarian law, or the laws of war, prohibits the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court defines intentionally starving civilians, including willfully impeding relief supplies, as a war crime. Criminal intent can be inferred from the totality of the circumstances of the military campaign and does not require the attacker's admission.
On October 7, Israel faced a rocket attack of unprecedented scale from the Gaza Strip as part of the declared military operation "Al-Aqsa Storm" by the military wing of the Palestinian movement Hamas. Subsequently, Hamas fighters infiltrated border areas in southern Israel, firing upon both military and civilian targets and taking over 200 hostages. According to the latest Israeli figures, approximately 1,200 people in Israel, including civilians, soldiers, foreign citizens, and workers, were reported to have died, with over 5,000 reported injured.
In response, the Israel Defense Forces initiated "Operation Swords of Iron " against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Within a few days, Israeli forces gained control of all populated areas along the Gaza border and began conducting airstrikes on various targets, including civilian ones, within the sector's territory, in which over 18,000 have reportedly died. Israel also announced a complete blockade on the Gaza Strip, halting the supply of water, food, electricity, medicine, and fuel.