ICSPR called to stop the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip
On Sunday, January 7, the International Commission to Support the Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) called upon the United Nations Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to exert more efforts to stop the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
ICSPR stressed the need to act immediately and urgently to put an end to the humanitarian catastrophe that is sweeping the population of the Gaza Strip into a catastrophic fate, noting that it is a legal and moral duty dictated by their legal mandates. ICSPR confirms that people in the Gaza Strip live in conditions that lack the most basic requirements for decent living and human dignity, especially in light of the severe deterioration in the human rights situation, the continuing crisis of power cuts and the lack of access to potable water.
ICSPR mentioned in its appeal that the deteriorated humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip are mainly due to the Israeli occupation and its policies, especially the siege. ICSPR also mentioned that the hesitation of the Palestinian government and opponents in completing the Palestinian reconciliation plays a huge role in addition to international communitys failure to fulfill its moral, legal and humanitarian obligations.
ICSPR made it clear that the international community and all international and humanitarian institutions are fully aware of the details of the disasters and humanitarian crises that are sweeping the Gaza Strip. This makes us questioning about the reasons behind not taking any actions to put an end to the crises of Gaza, which is about to explode and may be unspeakable, and again contribute in losing the Palestinian their belief in the role of international organizations.
ICSPR mentioned that the gravity of the current inhuman situation in the Gaza Strip goes far beyond the continued siege of the Gaza Strip, including the Israeli obstruction of the reconstruction of what has been destroyed during the three large-scale military operations launched by the Israeli military forces. The Israeli occupation is a long-term occupation of the Palestinian people by military force, which prevent the Palestinian people to exercise their right to political and economic self-determination. The Israeli siege over the past eleven years has created a real threat to the needs and service enjoyed by two million Palestinian, including basic services, and undermined the chances of any sustainable development in the Palestinian society. Every day, the Palestinians lose their hope in a future without the Israeli siege. The Israeli siege has affected the overall human rights of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, especially in terms of the high rates of unemployment and poverty among the youth, 63.8% of whom are unemployed, and in term of the Palestinian right to free movement, traveling, getting treatment and studying.
ICSPR added that throughout 2017, the brutal siege of the Gaza Strip continued leaving the Strip under inhuman consequences such as restricting freedom of movement and goods, deteriorating humanitarian conditions, high rates of poverty and unemployment, and deteriorating health, housing, education services. The deteriorated situation in the Gaza Strip reveals the falsity of any Israeli claim to ease the siege. The multiple crises caused by the ongoing Israeli siege and the repeated Israeli aggression, three times in a short period of time, led to increase the poverty rate in the Gaza Strip to 65%. The unemployment rate in The Gaza Strip is 43%, while among the youth it reached 63.8%. 72% of the families of the Gaza Strip are food insecure, 4,600 families in the Gaza Strip are still homeless, and 5,000 families live in tents or plastic houses. The percentage of safe drinking water is 5%, while the hours of daily power cuts are more than 16 hours. The health sector suffers from a shortage of medicines and medical consumables with a deficit of 30% per month.
Finally, ICSPR called upon the international community to intervene immediately to end the siege imposed by the Israeli occupation on the Gaza Strip for the eleventh year in a row, and to ensure that Israel complies with the obligations of international humanitarian law, in particular the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention. It is highly important to guarantee the right to free movement of the Palestinian people between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and secure the free movement of individuals and goods with Egypt. ICSPR also calls upon you to exert pressure on the Palestinian President and the Government to stop the collective punishment imposed on the Gaza Strip residents, which violates the rights citizens, employees and undermines the provided services to the Palestinian. ICSPR stressed on the need to adopt its appeal and work to end the suffering of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
