UN condemns ‘weaponisation of food' in Gaza
GENEVA: The United Nations on Tuesday condemned Israel's apparent 'weaponisation of food' in Gaza, a war crime, and urged Israel's military to 'stop shooting at people trying to get food'.
'Israel's militarised humanitarian assistance mechanism is in contradiction with international standards on aid distribution,' the UN human rights office said in written notes provided before a briefing.
'Desperate, hungry people in Gaza continue to face the inhumane choice of either starving to death or risk being killed while trying to get food.'
The US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began food distribution operations in Gaza on May 26 after Israel completely cut off supplies into the occupied Palestinian territory for more than two months, sparking warnings of mass famine.
The UN said in May that '100 percent of the population' of the besieged territory were ' at risk of famine'.
The UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF -- an officially private effort with opaque funding -- over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.
UN rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan warned in the briefing notes of 'scenes of chaos around the food distribution points' of the GHF.
Since the organisation began operating, 'the Israeli military has shelled and shot Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points, leading to many fatalities', he said.
He pointed to reports that 'over 410 Palestinians have been killed as a result, (while) at least 93 others have also been reportedly killed by the Israeli army while attempting to approach the very few aid convoys of the UN and other humanitarian organisations'.
'At least 3,000 Palestinians have been injured in these incidents,' he said.
'Each of these killings must be promptly and impartially investigated, and those responsible must be held to account.'
Kheetan cautioned that the system 'endangers civilians and contributes to the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza'.
'The weaponisation of food for civilians, in addition to restricting or preventing their access to life-sustaining services, constitutes a war crime, and, under certain circumstances, may constitute elements of other crimes under international law,' he warned.
The UN rights office demanded immediate action to rectify the situation.
'The Israeli military must stop shooting at people trying to get food,' Kheetan said, also demanding that Israel 'allow the entry of food and other humanitarian assistance needed to sustain the lives of Palestinians in Gaza'.
'It must immediately lift its unlawful restrictions on the work of UN and other humanitarian actors,' he said.
And he called on other countries to 'take concrete steps to ensure that Israel -- the occupying power in Gaza -- complies with its duty to ensure that sufficient food and lifesaving necessities are provided to the population.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malaysia Sun
18 minutes ago
- Malaysia Sun
Iran Wont Breach Truce If Israel Doesnt Do So: Pezeshkian
If the Zionist regime does not violate the ceasefire, Iran will not do so, Pezeshkian said in a telephone conversation with the prime minister of Malaysia on Tuesday after a ceasefire put a halt to 12 days of Israeli aggression against Iran and to the Islamic Republics retaliatory missile strikes. Pezeshkian said the Zionist regime and its supporters had hoped to create dissatisfaction among Iranians. However, the Iranian people demonstrated that, despite some problems, they remain united against enemy aggression. The Israeli regime attacked Iran amid the indirect negotiations between Iran and the US in the mistaken belief that Tehran lacked the capacity to respond and would surrender within a few days, the president added. The Zionist regime and its supporters also relied on inciting dissatisfaction and mobilizing the Iranian people, Pezeshkian added, his official website reported. He also lashed out at the self-proclaimed advocates of human rights and civilization for observing the crimes of the Zionist regime against the Iranian scientists and ordinary people. When the Zionist regime failed to achieve its objectives, the US directly participated in anti-Iran crimes and, contrary to all international rules, attacked Iranian nuclear sites, the president said. Pezeshkian also stressed that Iran regards all neighboring and regional countries as friends and brothers, and has always sought to deepen and strengthen relations and cooperation with them. Iran was compelled to respond to the US crimes by attacking an American airbase in Qatar, the president said, noting that this does not mean Iran is in conflict with the Qatari government and people.
Barnama
44 minutes ago
- Barnama
Malaysia's Iran Stand Upholds Global Justice Principles
WORLD KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's stance in supporting Iran's right to defend its sovereignty following attacks by Israel is seen as appropriate and consistent with the principles of universal justice and international law. International affairs and political analyst from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Prof Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani, said Iran's retaliation against Israel's attacks is justified under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which recognises the right to self-defence. 'Iran's act of self-defence is legitimate under international law, whereas Israel's attacks clearly violate that law. Therefore, Malaysia's position in supporting Iran in this context is appropriate and grounded in the principles of global justice,' he said. He was speaking as a guest on Bernama TV's Ruang Bicara programme on the topic, 'Iran-Israel (Rogue State) Conflict: A Spark for World War? aired tonight. Malaysia had earlier expressed concern over the rising tensions between Iran and Israel, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reiterating that violence is not a viable solution. However, within the framework of universal justice, Malaysia recognises Iran's right to respond to any form of aggression that violates its sovereignty. Meanwhile, Pertubuhan IKRAM Malaysia (IKRAM) president Badlishah Sham Baharin stressed that Malaysia's position on this matter stems from its long-standing commitment to defending the rights of oppressed Palestinians. 'Malaysia has consistently defended the rights of the oppressed. For example, we have long been one of the strongest voices on the global stage advocating for the Palestinian cause. 'When this (attack) happened to Iran, Malaysia once again stood up to condemn Israel's unwarranted aggression, as there is no international law that allows one country to attack another sovereign state under any pretext,' he said.
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
China helpless as Middle East war craters regional leverage: analysts
BEIJING: China has been able to do little more than stand back and watch as war between its key partner Iran and Israel harms its hard-fought leverage in the Middle East, analysts say. Beijing has sought to frame itself as a mediator in the region, facilitating a 2023 rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran and portraying itself as a more neutral actor in the Israel-Palestinian conflict than its rival the United States. And its position as the largest purchaser of Iranian oil has served as a crucial lifeline for Tehran as its economy is battered by crippling international sanctions. But as Israel and Iran engaged in an unprecedented exchange of attacks and the United States struck key targets on Iranian soil in the past week, Beijing has offered little beyond calls for de-escalation. "Beijing has offered Tehran no real help -- just rhetoric that paints China as the principled alternative while it stays safely on the sidelines," Craig Singleton, senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies think tank, told AFP. China, he said, "sticks to rhetoric -- condemnations, UN statements, talk of 'dialogue' -- because over-promising and under-delivering would spotlight its power-projection limits". "The result is a conspicuously thin response that underscores how little real heft China brings to Iran when the shooting starts." - 'Strategic' friendship - China -- alongside its "no limits" partner Russia -- has long been a key backer of Iran, deepening ties in the wake of the United States' withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal in 2018. President Xi Jinping described relations as "strategic" in a 2023 meeting with Iran's then-president Ebrahim Raisi, and backed Tehran in its fight against "bullying". Liu Qiang, a retired Chinese Senior Colonel, was even more explicit in an article on the academic website Aisixiang this month. "Iran's survival is a matter of China's national security," said the director of the Academic Committee of the Shanghai International Center for Strategic Studies. Beijing, he insisted, must take "proactive measures" in light of the recent war to ensure that Tehran "will not be broken by the military conflict" or "jointly strangled by the US and Israel". Analysts say Beijing's ties with Tehran are central to its efforts to ensure a regional counterbalance against both the United States and Israel as well as the Gulf States. "Iran fits into Beijing's broader campaign to counterbalance US-led hegemony and to a lesser extent NATO encroachment," Tuvia Gering, non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub, told AFP. Those efforts have gone into overdrive following blows to other "Axis of resistance" players since the start of the Gaza war -- the collapse of Bashar Al-Assad's rule in Syria and the degradation of Hamas and Hezbollah in fighting with Israel. "Beijing has sought to prevent a total unravelling of Iran's regional role," Gering said, pointing to Chinese efforts to resurrect the nuclear deal. - 'Little leverage' China has condemned recent US strikes on Iran and called for parties in the region, "especially Israel", to de-escalate. And it has called for a political solution to help a declared ceasefire hold. Fighting last month between India and Pakistan saw Beijing furnish its long-time allies in Islamabad with state-of-the-art military gear. Analysts don't expect China to extend the same courtesy to its comrades in Tehran, given the risk of direct confrontation with the United States. "Iran needs more than statements at the UN or missile components," Andrea Ghiselli, a lecturer at the University of Exeter, told AFP. "It needs air defences and fighter jets, which are things that China could provide but would require much time to be put into use -- not to mention the likely extremely negative reaction by Israel and, especially now that is directly involved, the US," he added. The United States has urged China to use its influence on Iran to help deter its leaders from shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for oil and gas. But Ahmed Aboudouh, an associate fellow with the Chatham House Middle East and North Africa Programme, was sceptical that Beijing has the leverage. "China's position in the Middle East after this conflict" has been badly affected, he told AFP. "Everybody in the Middle East understands that China has little leverage, if any, to play any role in de-escalation." - AFP
