According to human rights organization Amnesty's annual report, Israel is deliberately creating a humanitarian catastrophe by driving most Palestinians in Gaza to flee within the war-torn area. Israel's intention is, according to the report, to "exterminate Palestinians in Gaza and thereby commit genocide".
Israel rejects the allegations as "baseless lies".
"The radical anti-Israel organization Amnesty has once again chosen to publish baseless lies against Israel", says Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein in a statement.
Israel has stopped all influx of humanitarian aid – food, medicine, fuel, and more – since March 2. Since a ceasefire was broken on March 18, the air bombings continue, with many civilian casualties as a result. The war between Israel and Hamas began with Hamas' major terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, 2023.
The UN's human rights chief Volker Türk urges countries to act before the lack of essential aid leads to a collapse in Gaza.
"As the complete blockade of aid necessary for survival enters its ninth week, coordinated international efforts must be made to stop this humanitarian catastrophe from reaching a new, previously unknown level", says Türk in a statement.
The remaining food stocks are dwindling rapidly, he emphasizes.
"Any use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare constitutes a war crime", says Türk.
He warns Israel against declaring a new humanitarian zone in Rafah, far to the south, as old, weak, and sick people cannot get there.
