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Imposing an Exhaustive Blockade on Gaza

Israeli War Crimes

According to articles 10,11,13,14& 16 of Additional Protocol (II) to the Geneva Conventions, 1977 , “ Attacks are forbidden on civilians and on “objects indispensable to civilian survival” such as crops, irrigation systems or drinking water sources, cultural objects, and places of worship. ”

On Oct. 9,2023 Israel imposed a siege on Gaza by cutting off water, food, electricity and fuel in response to the attack on Israel two days earlier by Hamas. These were orders by the defense minister Yoav Gallant on that day.

Besides, Prime Minister Netanyahu declared it clearly : There will be no electricity and no water [in Gaza], there will only be destruction.

The taps have run dry, trucks are no longer refilling household water tanks, and the desalination plants have largely ground to a halt for lack of electricity and fuel. Israel so far has barred the humanitarian aid convoys from bringing fuel, which is needed to power water facilities and desalination plants. The United Nations has called the situation a **humanitarian catastrophe** and has warned that all of Gaza is in danger of running out of water as a result of the Israeli siege.

The consequences:

Survival in Gaza now means not only escaping death from the thousands of Israeli airstrikes that have rained down over the past time, but also finding the basic necessities for living.

Some Gazans are skipping multiple meals just to ensure their children are able to eat. Others have resorted to drinking brackish water or mixing potable water with contaminated water. Few vehicles are on the streets these days as what little fuel is left in Gaza is mostly reserved for ambulances to ferry the dead and injured and to run hospital generators.

People are hungry and just desperate for food. 40% of the population at Gaza are at risk of famine.

According to the reports, doctors in Gaza have been forced to operate on patients without sufficient anaesthetics, and to use clothes for bandages, vinegar for antiseptic, sewing needles for surgical ones. It has been reported that doctors perform emergency C-sections without anaesthetics; according to Al Jazeera Arabic, there have also been instances of women having to undergo hysterectomies to save their lives.

The destruction of homes and infrastructure, shortage of water, food, electricity, and fuel, as well as the threat of near-constant heavy bombardment has led to the displacement of over 1.6 million Palestinians in Gaza, many of whom are sheltering in UNRWA facilities.