Picture: for illustration purposes
South Africa's department of international relations & cooperation (Dirco) issued a strongly worded condemnation against Israel's evident violation of the Geneva Conventions. They criticised Israeli authorities for unlawfully withholding essential supplies such as food, water, electricity and fuel from the Gaza Strip. It's feared that this move escalates the already critical condition in this volatile region.
As they cut off resources, Israeli officials issued evacuation order to about 1.1 million Gazans, pushing the dire situation to a likely humanitarian catastrophe. Gaza's infrastructure is overstretched with not enough shelter, aid or water to accommodate the huge influx of internally displaced people.
The procedures adopted by Israeli authorities, according to Dirco, demonstrate a clear dereliction of their international humanitarian obligations. As per the Geneva Conventions’ Article 14, the formula of warfare that involves the starvation of civilians as a tool of combat is strictly prohibited. This article explicitly bans the purposeful destruction, removal or useless rendering of objects vital for the survival of the civilian population.
The United Nations (UN) has, in the past, denounced Israel's “continuous grave breaches” of the Fourth Geneva Convention and Additional Protocol I as war crimes. South Africa reiterated the UN’s calling for Israel to immediately ensure the provision of water, food, fuel and electricity to the people of Gaza.
The ongoing crisis in Gaza seems to be spiralling out of control and today's actions by Israel will only exacerbate the already corrosive situation. Moreover, the United Nations schools turned into shelters are overwhelmed with shortages in resources, including food, water, medicine and other humanitarian provisions.