Report: Israeli military has "weaponized" humanitarian initiatives in Gaza to accelerate the displacement and killing of Palestinians

By richardbrown // 2024-03-21

Mastodon

Parler

Gab

Copy

The investigative organization Forensic Architecture recently released a study indicating that the Israeli military has effectively "weaponized" humanitarian initiatives like "evacuation orders" and "safe zones" in Gaza, enabling it to ensure the widespread displacement of Palestinians. Forensic Architecture's 80-page report asserts that Israel's implementation of these strategies has exacerbated forced transfers and mass displacements, contravening international legal norms. Moreover, the report reveals that these measures often lacked consistency and clarity, leading to confusion and ultimately resulting in more casualties and Israel's bombardment of designated safe zones in Gaza. Rather than serving as genuine humanitarian efforts aimed at safeguarding civilian lives, the report suggests that Israel's actions constitute a form of "humanitarian violence," which aligns with Israel's broader genocidal actions against the Palestinian population of the Strip. (Related: Israel weaponizes food supply as almost 600,000 people go hungry in Gaza.) According to the report, international humanitarian law prohibits the evacuation of civilians from combat zones unless it is genuinely for their protection and so long as their relocation to areas with essential survival provisions such as food, water and shelter is ensured. Despite Israel's assertions that its "evacuation orders" were intended to safeguard Palestinian civilians, the humanitarian measures implemented since the outbreak of conflict in October have failed to adhere to these stipulations. Instead, these policies have functioned as instruments of mass displacement, pushing civilians into uninhabitable areas that subsequently come under attack, further exacerbating Israel's genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people. The report underscores that Israel's "weaponized" humanitarian measures persist even after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on January 26 that "at least some of the acts and omissions" Israel has committed in Gaza meet the criteria of genocide as set forth by the 1948 Genocide Convention which legally defined it. Despite this court ruling, Israel has continued to forcibly remove Palestinians from their homes and deny them essential resources, such as adequate food, water, and medical care, in violation of the court's directives.

31,000 Palestinians killed by Israel's military campaign in Gaza

Israel's actions have resulted in the death toll in Gaza surpassing 31,000, with over 72,400 wounded and approximately 7,000 more missing, most of whom are presumed dead and buried under rubble. Over three-quarters of Gaza's population had been internally displaced due to the conflict. Among them, more than a million individuals are crowded into Rafah, a small area of land whose population has ballooned to five times its pre-war size. This humanitarian crisis has been exacerbated by unprecedented levels of infrastructural destruction, agricultural damage and the deliberate targeting of vital civilian structures, including hospitals, schools, religious sites and residential homes. The devastation wrought by the conflict has left homes and livelihoods in ruins, with disease rampant throughout the region. Hunger is pervasive, particularly affecting the over 155,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women, among whom malnutrition rates have sharply risen. Gaza's health system is in dire straits, with hospitals overwhelmed and medical personnel facing immense stress amidst deteriorating sanitation conditions. The estimated 5,500 pregnant women expected to give birth in the coming month face formidable challenges in accessing adequate medical care, as many essential healthcare facilities have been destroyed. Additionally, more than 690,000 menstruating women and adolescent girls in Gaza are grappling with limited access to menstrual hygiene supplies and privacy, exacerbated by the scarcity of water which compromises cleanliness and increases the risk of infection. Read more stories like this at IsraelCollapse.com. Watch this video of Israeli pro-war protesters attempting to block aid trucks from entering Gaza. This video is from the AllTheWorldsAStage channel on Brighteon.com.

CITIZENS NEWS

31,000 Palestinians killed by Israel's military campaign in Gaza

More related stories: