IOF Depriving 80,000 Palestinians in Northern Gaza of Life Necessities

By Al Mayadeen English

8 Nov 2024 20:37

Thousands of displaced Palestinian families, forced to flee their homes, are sleeping on the streets due to a shortage of tents and shelter.

80,000 Palestinians still in northern Gaza are deprived of basic necessities and humanitarian aid, Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza reported on Friday.

Our correspondent pointed out that thousands of families have been displaced to the west of Gaza City and are sleeping on the streets because of a lack of tents available to protect them from heat and cold.

Intense shelling by Israeli naval vessels targeted the beach of the Nuseirat refugee camp and the city of Rafah in central and southern Gaza Strip.

On Thursday evening, 27 Palestinians, including children and women, were killed, and others were injured in a new massacre committed by the Israeli occupation after it bombed a house in the Jabalia refugee camp.

The death toll from the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip has risen to 43,508 martyrs, in addition to 102,684 injuries since October 7, 2023, the Gaza Health Ministry confirmed on the 399th day of the aggression.

The IOF also continue to forcibly disrupt the work of civil defense in northern Gaza Strip under Israeli targeting and aggression, and thousands of citizens there are now without humanitarian aid and medical care.

In the southern Gaza Strip, the occupation forces continue their ground invasion of large neighborhoods in Rafah, since May 7. Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported large explosions as a result of Israeli shelling targeting Khan Younis. 

The six-month update on the human rights situation in Gaza, covering the period from 1 November 2023 to 30 April 2024, highlights severe violations of international humanitarian and human rights law by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in Gaza, describing the Strip as "a rubble-strewn landscape."

Ajith Sunghay, Director of the UN Human Rights Office for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, has condemned these violations, emphasizing the widespread destruction of hospitals, schools, and critical infrastructure, which has contributed to a dire humanitarian crisis. He also pointed to the severe restrictions on humanitarian aid, which have led to widespread starvation among Palestinians.

Additionally, Sunghay noted the targeting of journalists and civil society organizations, which has disrupted their work, and, according to the latest figures from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), nearly two million people in Gaza are now internally displaced and struggling with severe shortages of food, water, and medicine.

Families are frequently forced to relocate, and 80% of Gaza is now designated for evacuation and relocation by Israeli forces, confining Palestinians to just 20% of the territory.

The report calls for an immediate ceasefire, strict adherence to international law, and accountability for violations. It stresses the urgent need for access to humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians.

In the report, the UN Human Rights Office revealed that 70% of those killed in Gaza from November 2023 to April 2024 are women and children, describing this high civilian toll as a severe breach of international humanitarian law and attributing the high civilian death toll to "Israel's" use of weapons with expansive area effects in Gaza's densely populated urban zones.

"Our monitoring indicates that this unprecedented level of killing and injury of civilians is a direct consequence of the failure to comply with fundamental principles of international humanitarian law – namely the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack," stated UN human rights chief Volker Turk.

According to the detailed analysis, about 80% of the victims were killed in residential buildings or similar housing, out of which 44% were children and 26% were women.

The most represented verified fatalities were children aged 5 to 9, between ages 10 to 14, and babies and children from 0 to 4 years old. The report also verified that the youngest victim was a one-day-old boy, while the oldest was a 97-year-old woman.

"It is essential that there is due reckoning with respect to the allegations of serious violations of international law through credible and impartial judicial bodies," Turk said, stressing the importance of collecting and preserving evidence.