Amnesty International has raised serious allegations against Israel, describing its actions as a “live-streamed genocide” that forcibly displaces the majority of Gazans and precipitates a humanitarian crisis—claims that Israel has vehemently denied as “blatant lies.”
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The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has voiced concern that Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid has devolved into a “silent killer” in the beleaguered territory, disproportionately affecting children and the sick.
In its recent annual report, Amnesty asserted that Israel is acting with a “specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, thus committing genocide.”
The conflict in Gaza erupted following a series of deadly attacks by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the tragic loss of 1,218 lives in Israel—primarily civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Amnesty’s Secretary General, Agnes Callamard, remarked, “Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas perpetrated horrific crimes against Israeli citizens and took over 250 hostages, the world has been made a witness to a live-streamed genocide.” She further expressed, “States watched on as if powerless, as Israel killed thousands upon thousands of Palestinians, wiping out entire multigenerational families and destroying homes, livelihoods, hospitals, and schools.”
In a grim report from Gaza’s civil defense agency, at least seven people were killed in recent Israeli strikes, which included four individuals in makeshift tents for displaced families near Al-Iqleem in southern Gaza.
Widad Fojo, a grieving resident, lamented, “I just want to lay my head on a pillow and sleep. We don’t want to be collecting remains (of body parts),” illustrating the deep emotional trauma experienced by those affected.
Israel resumed its military operations in Gaza on March 18 after a two-month ceasefire, emphasizing that their objective is to secure hostages’ release. “We will bring them back,” asserted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, regarding the captives held in Gaza.
Amnesty claimed to have “documented multiple war crimes by Israel,” including assaults on civilians, and accused Israel of “deliberately engineering an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.” Notably, around 1.9 million people—approximately 90% of Gaza’s population—have been forcibly displaced.
In response to these accusations, Israel has dismissed the report, alleging that Amnesty is spreading Hamas propaganda. Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein declared, “The radical anti-Israel organization Amnesty has once again chosen to publish baseless lies against Israel.” He insisted, “Israel is targeting only terrorists and never civilians,” while asserting that Hamas deliberately endangers both Palestinian and Israeli lives.
UNRWA has highlighted that children and the sick are bearing the brunt of this humanitarian crisis. Spokeswoman Juliette Touma stated, “Children in Gaza are going to bed starving. The ill and the sick are not able to get medical care because of shortages in supplies in hospitals and clinics,” characterizing the siege as “a silent killer of children, of older people, of the most vulnerable in the community.”
In a troubling report, UNRWA also indicated that more than 50 of its staff, including teachers and medical personnel, have experienced abuse at the hands of Israeli forces during detention. Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, described their treatment as “the most shocking and inhumane,” with reports of physical abuse and being used as human shields.
Israel has claimed that some UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7 attack and has since prohibited the agency from operating within its territory. Amnesty characterized the ongoing war as a collective failure of the international community. Heba Morayef, Amnesty’s regional director, observed that Palestinians are enduring “extreme levels of suffering” amid a “complete inability or lack of political will” from the world to intervene.
In a separate incident, the Palestine Red Crescent Society announced that Israel released a medic who had been detained since a deadly attack on ambulances in southern Gaza on March 23, which resulted in 15 medics and emergency responders losing their lives due to what the Israeli military classified as an “operational” failure.
In closing, the situation remains dire, underscoring the urgent need for humanitarian assistance and a concerted international response.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
