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‘Crime of starvation’: NGO calls for Gaza famine zone declaration
The Palestinian NGO Network says this is “in light of the serious repercussions of the restrictions imposed by the occupation on the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, especially its north”.
The Israeli military continues to prevent the entry of food, water, and medicine into northern Gaza. It also restricts the entry of aid into other areas of the besieged coastal enclave, with no more than 30 trucks getting in per day, representing 6 percent of basic needs.
The network warned of the “serious repercussions of the crime of starvation practiced by the occupation and preventing the entry of food and other basic needs, especially on the health of children and women who are now in a difficult and complex reality that threatens their lives”.
Israel says it has met most US demands on Gaza aid as deadline looms
Israel says it has achieved most demands made by the US to improve humanitarian conditions in the besieged coastal enclave as a deadline looms to improve the situation or face potential restrictions on US military aid.
Israel has refused to carry out some US demands, including allowing the entry of 50 to 100 commercial trucks a day.
An Israeli official told reporters commercial activity has been halted because Hamas is allegedly controlling the merchants. Restrictions on the entry of closed containers will also not be lifted because of security risks, the official said.
Other demands, including the opening of a fifth crossing into Gaza, have been implemented.
The US told its ally in a letter on October 13 that it must take steps to improve the aid situation in Gaza within 30 days. Tuesday is the deadline. Last week, a committee of global food security experts warned of a strong likelihood that famine is imminent in certain areas of northern Gaza.
UN condemns mass arrests, violence against Palestinians in West Bank
The UN Human Rights Office has condemned Israeli forces’ mass arrests, ill-treatment and “gratuitous humiliation of Palestinians” during raids in refugee camps and towns across the occupied West Bank.
Information it has gathered shows “a pattern of unnecessary, disproportionate and otherwise unlawful force used in Palestinian communities of Madama, Dura, and the Fawwar refugee camps, among others, over the past month, despite in many cases there being no apparent threat to public order or the security of the occupying forces”, it said.
The office referred to an incident on October 18-19 when Israeli forces raided at least 50 homes in the Fawwar refugee camp in the Hebron governorate and detained 30 Palestinians.
During the raids, people reported widespread abuse, property theft, and violence against householders and detainees.
“One of those detained reported to UN Human Rights Office that Israeli security forces hit him with a heavy object in the head and jaw, while he was handcuffed and blindfolded. Israeli media have reported one case of grave sexual violence against a detainee during this raid.”
