ICSPR: The Israeli Occupation Barters Palestinians’ Right to Self-Determination for Scraps of Food and Aid..The International Community Remains Complicit Through Its Silence
Date: June 19, 2025
Press Release
ICSPR: The Israeli Occupation Barters Palestinians’ Right to Self-Determination for Scraps of Food and Aid… The International Community Remains Complicit Through Its Silence
The International Commission to Support Palestinians’ Rights (ICSPR) confirmed that the Israeli occupation is waging a dual war against the people of the Gaza Strip, consisting of systematic genocide using weaponry, and a calculated starvation campaign as a dangerous tool to pressure and extort political rights—most notably the right to self-determination. This was stated in a legal and humanitarian position paper prepared by ICSPR Board Member, Dr. Ali Tamim Al-Attar, under the title: “Bartering the Right to Self-Determination for Food.”
Over 54,000 Martyrs… and Starvation as a Declared Weapon
The paper clarified that since the wide-scale Israeli aggression began in Gaza in October 2023, the occupation has committed unprecedented crimes in Palestinian history, resulting in the martyrdom of more than 54,381 Palestinians and injury of approximately 128,054 others, most of whom are civilians—including thousands of children and women—in the context of total destruction of infrastructure, agricultural and livestock production, and economic and health facilities.
ICSPR emphasized that the occupation has violated all norms by using water, food, and medicine as weapons of war against civilians, leading to the deaths of over 30 children due to acute famine, in addition to endangering the lives of hundreds of other children and pregnant women.
UN Affirms the Right to Self-Determination… The Occupation Denies It
The paper reviewed a number of international resolutions, particularly the UN resolution of December 18, 2024, which reaffirmed the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, gaining the support of 172 countries. Yet, the Israeli occupation denied this right and continued its defiance, backed by repeated U.S. vetoes in the UN Security Council.
The paper pointed out that although Israel claimed to have withdrawn from Gaza in 2005, it has in fact reoccupied it, and since October 2023, has engaged in forced displacement, demographic manipulation, and the use of food and water blockades to subdue the population—alongside the destruction of power plants and water wells, and prevention of humanitarian aid entry.
UN Reports: Gaza Has Reached Famine Level 5
According to the paper, reports from UN agencies including UNRWA and the World Food Programme have classified the humanitarian situation in Gaza as Famine Level 5—the most severe globally. More than 68% of families in Gaza suffer from varying degrees of food insecurity, while unemployment stands at 45%, amid a decline in aid and restrictions on the entry of essential goods.
ICSPR documented the theft of dozens of aid trucks by occupation forces and settlers, including 23 Emirati aid trucks on May 24, 2025, and 40 flour trucks on May 30, 2025. Additionally, the targeting of Palestinian civil police securing the aid distribution process led to the killing of dozens and deprivation of thousands of families from their basic right to food.
Militarization of U.S. Aid… and the Humiliation of the Starving
ICSPR warned of the dangers surrounding U.S. aid distribution points, managed by foreign security companies and placed in restricted areas such as Rafah, imposing harsh and humiliating conditions on civilians to receive food. These points, according to ICSPR, are used more as tools of population control than humanitarian relief, in light of frequent gunfire directed at civilians waiting in line—as happened on June 1, 2025, when over 350 civilians were killed and more then 3500 injured while attempting to receive food parcels.
The Right to Self-Determination: Between International Law and Grim Reality
The paper emphasized that the right to self-determination is a fundamental principle enshrined in international charters, including the UN Charter and the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice. However, the Israeli occupation treats this right as a bargaining chip, attempting to exchange it for humanitarian aid—while imposing facts on the ground that obstruct any real attempt to establish a Palestinian state or achieve full sovereignty.
Mechanisms for Empowerment: International, Local, and Popular
The paper outlined several mechanisms that can enable the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination, including:
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The role of international organizations such as the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, through freezing Israel’s membership, prosecuting its leaders, and providing international protection;
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States and international unions, by recognizing the State of Palestine, cutting ties with Israel, and referring war crimes to the International Criminal Court;
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Global popular movements, through boycotts, demonstrations, and fundraising;
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Local efforts, including Palestinian unity, ending internal division, forming a transitional government, and reforming the PLO.
Recommendations:
At the conclusion of the paper, ICSPR presented 20 actionable recommendations, most notably:
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Immediate recognition of the State of Palestine;
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Prosecution of the Israeli occupation in international courts;
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Enabling UNRWA and humanitarian organizations to operate freely;
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Unifying all Palestinian resistance factions under one national leadership;
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Adoption of a comprehensive national strategy for resistance.
