The International Commission (Hashd) states The humanitarian situation of displaced people in tents and shelters requires international intervention to address this humanitarian disaster
Date: September 21, 2024
Press Release
In an urgent appeal
The International Commission (Hashd) states The humanitarian situation of displaced people in tents and shelters requires international intervention to address this humanitarian disaster
The International Commission to Support Palestinian People’s Rights (Hashd) has called for increased efforts and measures to halt the ongoing crimes of aggression and genocide in the Gaza Strip. The commission emphasized the need to ensure the flow of humanitarian aid, medical supplies, and essential items, particularly the provision of winter clothing, tents, tarps, and all necessary items to protect the people from the harsh winter conditions. Additionally, it called for international protection for Palestinians, the isolation and boycott of the “Israeli Occupying State,” the imposition of sanctions on it, and support for the process of holding its leaders and soldiers accountable before international courts, treating it as a rogue state. The commission also urged the activation of international humanitarian intervention to address the unprecedented humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
This urgent appeal was directed to the United Nations Secretary-General, the UN Special Envoy, the President of the Human Rights Council, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the European Union, the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and both the International and Arab Parliaments.
The International Commission (Hashd): pointed to the ongoing genocide by Israeli military forces against the Palestinian people, now in its twelfth consecutive month. The world has been unable to stop what is now the largest and most horrific act of genocide in modern times. The Israeli occupying forces continue to use all available weapons and military equipment in a clear, systematic, and organized manner to target civilians and their properties, particularly shelters and residential homes in densely populated neighborhoods. Their aim is to kill children, women, and the elderly, forcibly displacing families and subjecting them to repeated internal displacement.
The International Commission (Hashd): revealed that during this period, the occupation has committed 4,650 massacres against civilians, resulting in the death, martyrdom, and disappearance of approximately 50,000 people, 70% of whom are women and children. More than 91,000 others have been wounded with varying degrees of injury. Furthermore, 85% of homes, civilian properties, and infrastructure have been destroyed by these military attacks, turning Gaza into a disaster zone unfit for human life. This has been accompanied by continued collective punishment through the cutting off of electricity, water, communication services, and the obstruction of humanitarian aid, including food, clothing, shoes, medical supplies, and cleaning materials. These actions have exacerbated the catastrophic humanitarian crisis, stripping the people of Gaza of even the most basic necessities for survival.
The International Commission (Hashd): that with the approach of winter, the humanitarian situation for displaced people is worsening. Whether in tattered tents, shelters, schools, or exposed areas near the seashore, these vulnerable groups face severe shortages of tents, tarps, shoes, winter clothing, diapers, and heating supplies, putting their lives at serious risk, especially children and women. Most of the displaced are living in fabric tents and tarps, which were exposed to the intense summer heat and have deteriorated, making them unsuitable for habitation.
The International Commission (Hashd): affirmed that 90% of the displaced families in Gaza, numbering around 2 million people, especially children and women, are suffering from diseases and epidemics due to the lack of medicines, food, drinking water, and proper shelters. The high cost of living, scarcity of sanitation supplies, and lack of privacy for women and families, along with shortages of blankets and mattresses, have compounded the crisis.
The International Commission (Hashd): reiterated that the ongoing genocide in Gaza, combined with the international community’s failure to stop it and prevent the humanitarian catastrophe, is a result of the impunity provided by certain Western nations. These countries have allowed Israel to continue its policy of escaping accountability and have been unable to enforce relevant United Nations resolutions concerning the Palestinian issue. Moreover, they are complicit in the serious violations against the Palestinian people by supplying the occupation forces with weapons and ammunition, as well as providing political and financial support, particularly from the United States and some Western countries, in clear violation of international law.
Hashd stressed that the international silence and failure to stop the war and end the occupation is essentially a green light for the occupying forces to continue violating international law and rejecting the implementation of UN and International Court of Justice decisions. This is a clear act of complicity in the crime of genocide against the Palestinian people.
Hashd concluded its appeal by emphasizing that the international community’s weakness and failure to stop the aggression, coupled with Israel’s continued undermining of international efforts to end the conflict, necessitates adopting a humanitarian intervention approach. It called for activating all treaty and non-treaty mechanisms to protect human rights and urged swift individual and collective action at all levels to stop the genocide, ensure the protection of Palestinians, and prevent further international crimes against them.
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