Key points
- Israel blocked all humanitarian aid to Gaza
- Cuts off electricity to drinking water plant
- Blockade violates international humanitarian law: Amnesty
ISLAMABAD: Amnesty International has dubbed Israel’s blocking of aid and power to Palestinians “further evidence of Israel’s genocide” in the occupied Gaza Strip.
Israel has cut off electricity to the besieged enclave, including a plant that provides drinking water to Palestinians.
The human rights watchdog condemned Israel’s decision and called upon the world to stop it from using water and electricity as a weapon of war.
“Israel’s decision to cut off electricity to Gaza’s main operational desalination plant, a week after it halted the entry of all humanitarian aid and commercial supplies, including fuel and food, violates international humanitarian law and is further evidence of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip,” the group said in a social media post.
The UN’s Genocide Convention defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”, including killings and measures to prevent births.
Israel’s decision to cut off electricity to Gaza’s main operational desalination plant, a week after it halted the entry of all humanitarian aid and commercial supplies, including fuel and food, violates international humanitarian law and is further evidence of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip.” – Amnesty International
Israel has blocked all humanitarian aid to the enclave to pressure Hamas into agreeing to a US plan for a ceasefire extension.
The first phase of a truce deal mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the US expired on Saturday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Hamas was refusing to accept a temporary extension proposed by Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff.
“Cheap blackmail”
A Hamas spokesperson said blocking supplies to Gaza was “cheap blackmail” and a “coup” on the ceasefire agreement and urged mediators to intervene.
The ceasefire deal halted 15 months of fighting between Hamas and the Israeli military, allowing the release of 33 Israeli hostages for about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
The internationally mediated ceasefire plan – originally proposed by Joe Biden – envisages three stages.
However, Israel has refused to negotiate on the second phase after completing the first phase.
