to report «iusnews»; UN experts expressed their serious concerns over Israel tightening its siege on Gaza, depriving 2.3 million people of essential food, fuel, water, electricity and medicine.
The experts include special rapporteur on human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Pedro Arrojo Agudo, and special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese, among others, Al-Jazeera reported.
“The complete siege of Gaza coupled with unfeasible evacuation orders and forcible population transfers, is a violation of international humanitarian and criminal law. It is also unspeakably cruel,” they said.
“We are sounding the alarm: There is an ongoing campaign by Israel resulting in crimes against humanity in Gaza,” they added.
They also expressed outrage over the strike on Gaza’s Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, describing it as an “atrocity”, on the same day as a strike on an UNRWA school located in Al Maghazi refugee camp that sheltered some 4,000 displaced people, as well as on two densely populated refugee camps.
“Considering statements made by Israeli political leaders and their allies, accompanied by military action in Gaza and escalation of arrests and killing in the West Bank, there is also a risk of genocide against the Palestine people,” the experts added.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Thursday that about 1 million internally displaced people in Gaza are living in "increasingly dire conditions" amid shortages of critical resources.
Gaza is under a full electricity blackout for the ninth consecutive day, food and water supplies are dwindling, and hospitals are on the brink of collapse, the office said.
"Water production from municipal groundwater sources is at less than five percent of the level prior to the latest crisis. The lack of fuel, insecurity and road damage have brought water trucking operations to a halt in most areas," OCHA said.
Nutritional health is deteriorating amid the "extremely limited water supply, raising the risk of dehydration and leading to people consuming water that is unfit to drink", OCHA said.
The office also stressed that commercial stocks of essential food commodities in shops are set to last for "only a few more days".
OCHA said the World Food Programme (WFP) is providing food and cash assistance every day, aiding a total of 522,000 Palestinians since the start of the crisis.
Israel launched the assault on Gaza after Hamas resistance movement carried out a surprise operation from the territory in Southern Israel.
The regime has also intensified the siege of Gaza, leaving the city, home to more than 2.3 million Palestinians, without water, electricity, fuel and internet.
