Israel accused of 'acts of genocide', 'ethnic cleansing' in Gaza

Ahram Online , Thursday 19 Dec 2024

Israel on Thursday faced accusations of "acts of genocide" in Gaza, while a medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said the devastation caused in the Palestinian territory showed clear "signs of ethnic cleansing".

gaza
The bodies of people killed during an Israeli strike on Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, lie at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, also known as the Baptist Hospital, in Gaza City on December 19, 2024. AFP

 

They are the latest in a series of similar accusations levelled against Israel during its 14-month war on the Gaza Strip.

In a new report focused specifically on water, New York-based Human Rights Watch detailed deliberate efforts by Israeli authorities "of a systematic nature" to deprive Gazans of water, which had "likely caused thousands of deaths... and will likely continue to cause deaths".

In a separate report released on Thursday, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) accused Israel of causing widespread devastation in Gaza and noted "signs of ethnic cleansing" in the north of the Palestinian territory.

Israel in early October began a major military operation in Gaza's north.

The report, Gaza: Life in a Death Trap, outlines the devastating effects of repeated Israeli occupation army attacks on civilians and the systematic denial of humanitarian aid, which are eradicating the conditions necessary for survival.

The healthcare system in Gaza is in ruins, with medical staff, including MSF personnel, either detained or killed, according to the organization.

MSF reports witnessing Israel’s indiscriminate attacks on civilians, denial of lifesaving medical care, and the obstruction of aid delivery for the past 14 months.

“People in Gaza are struggling to survive apocalyptic conditions, but nowhere is safe, no one is spared, and there is no exit from this shattered enclave,” says Christopher Lockyear, MSF secretary general, who visited Gaza earlier this year.

Lockyear said, "Signs of ethnic cleansing and the ongoing devastation -- including mass killings, severe physical and mental health injuries, forced displacement, and impossible conditions of life for Palestinians under siege and bombardment -- are undeniable."

“What our medical teams have witnessed on the ground throughout this conflict is consistent with the descriptions provided by an increasing number of legal experts and organisations concluding that genocide is taking place in Gaza.”

The HRW report detailed the intentional damage of water and sanitation infrastructure, as well as the blocking of fuel for generators.

In the 179-page new report, “Extermination and Acts of Genocide: Israel Deliberately Depriving Palestinians in Gaza of Water,” Human Rights Watch found that Israeli authorities have "intentionally" deprived Palestinians in Gaza of access to safe water for drinking and sanitation needed for basic human survival. 

"Israeli authorities and forces cut off and later restricted piped water to Gaza; rendered most of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure useless by cutting electricity and restricting fuel; deliberately destroyed and damaged water and sanitation infrastructure and water repair materials; and blocked the entry of critical water supplies," the New York-based rights group said.

"For over a year the Israeli government has deliberately denied Palestinians in Gaza the bare minimum they need to survive,” said Tirana Hassan, executive director at Human Rights Watch. 

“This isn’t just negligence; it is a calculated policy of deprivation that has led to the deaths of thousands from dehydration and disease that is nothing short of the crime against humanity of extermination, and an act of genocide.”

The report concluded that in doing so, "Israeli authorities intentionally inflicted on the Palestinian population in Gaza 'conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.'"

This, it said, amounted to the war crime of "extermination" and to "acts of genocide".

Israel has killed at least 45,129 people in Gaza during more than 14 months of relentless war, the health ministry reported in its most recent toll. The vast majority of the victims are women and children.  

 

Short link: