Latest news with #warcrime
Al Arabiya
3 hours ago
- Health
- Al Arabiya
Israeli-, US-backed aid distribution centers accused of mixing Oxycodone in flour bags
Gaza's Government Media Office on Friday accused Israeli- and US-backed aid distribution centers in Gaza of deliberately mixing narcotic pills in flour bags being distributed to the population severely affected by war and at risk of famine. Lacing the flour with highly addictive substances marks a horrific new crime targeting civilians' health and societal fabric in Gaza, the statement said. 'We hold the Israeli occupation fully responsible for this crime, which aims to spread addiction and destroy Palestinian society from within,' it added. Omar Hamad, a pharmacist and writer from the besieged enclave, said that Israel has reportedly been smuggling Oxycodone into Gaza through flour bags provided as aid. 'It has also been revealed that the drug is not only hidden inside flour bags, but the flour itself appears to be mixed with it,' he said Thursday in a post on X. The Anti-Drug Committee in Gaza urged citizens to exercise caution, inspect food items coming from 'the death traps called US-Israeli aid centers,' and immediately report any foreign substances. This week, the United Nations condemned Israel's 'weaponization of food' in Gaza, a war crime, and urged Israel's military to 'stop shooting at people trying to get food.' According to UN figures, over 410 Palestinians have been killed and at least 3,000 injured because of Israeli military shooting Palestinians trying to reach the aid distribution points or those collecting humanitarian aid. 'Desperate, hungry people in Gaza continue to face the inhumane choice of either starving to death or risk being killed while trying to get food' the UN human rights office had said in written notes provided before a briefing on Tuesday. The US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began food distribution operations in Gaza on May 26 after Israel completely cut off supplies into the occupied Palestinian territory for more than two months, sparking warnings of mass famine. The UN said in May that '100 percent of the population' in Gaza were 'at risk of famine.'
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Firing on unarmed civilians in Gaza 'a war crime'
Firing on unarmed civilians in Gaza "a war crime" Quotable Video Duration 01 minutes 06 seconds 01:06 Video Duration 00 minutes 44 seconds 00:44 Video Duration 01 minutes 14 seconds 01:14 Video Duration 01 minutes 11 seconds 01:11 Video Duration 00 minutes 44 seconds 00:44 Video Duration 01 minutes 17 seconds 01:17 Video Duration 01 minutes 06 seconds 01:06
SBS Australia
4 days ago
- Health
- SBS Australia
UN condemns 'weaponisation of food' in Gaza after hundreds killed while seeking aid
The United Nations has criticised the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Source: Anadolu / Getty Images The United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday that the "weaponisation" of food for civilians in Gaza constitutes a war crime, in its strongest remarks yet on a new model of aid distribution run by an Israeli-backed organisation. The US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began food distribution operations in Gaza in late May , after Israel completely cut off supplies into the occupied Palestinian territory for more than two months, sparking warnings of mass famine. The UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF — an officially private effort with opaque funding — over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. Since the organisation began operating, "the Israeli military has shelled and shot Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points, leading to many fatalities", UN human rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters at a Geneva press briefing. Kheetan said more than 410 people have been killed by gunshots or shells fired by the Israeli military while trying to reach GHF distribution sites since it began operating, The death toll came from Palestinian health authorities and other sources, including non-governmental organisations and was in the process of being verified by his office, he said. "Desperate, hungry people in Gaza continue to face the inhumane choice of either starving to death or risk being killed while trying to get food," he said, describing the system as "Israel's militarised humanitarian assistance mechanism". "The weaponisation of food for civilians, in addition to restricting or preventing their access to life-sustaining services, constitutes a war crime and, under certain circumstances, may constitute elements of other crimes under international law." Asked whether Israel was guilty of that war crime, he said: "The legal qualification needs to be made by a court of law." Israel has long rejected accusations it has committed war crimes in Gaza, and blames Hamas fighters for harm to civilians for operating among them, which the militant group denies. Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, also criticised the GHF on Tuesday. "The newly created so-called aid mechanism is an abomination that humiliates and degrades desperate people," Lazzarini said at a press conference in Berlin. "It is a death trap costing more lives than it saves," he said. UNRWA had long spearheaded aid efforts in the region, but was sidelined by the GHF's operations. Israel has accused UNRWA of providing cover for Hamas militants and earlier this year banned the agency from operating on Israeli soil or contacting officials. On Tuesday, Lazzarini called for UNRWA to regain access to the Palestinian territory and restart its aid efforts. "The humanitarian community, including UNRWA, has the expertise and must be allowed to do their job and provide assistance with respect and dignity," he said. "There is no other alternative to address the challenges of spreading hunger in the Gaza Strip." On Tuesday, Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed 21 people waiting for aid near a distribution site in the centre of the Palestinian territory, the latest deadly incident targeting aid-seekers. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that 21 people were killed and around 150 wounded "as a result of the Israeli occupation forces' targeting of gatherings of citizens waiting for aid ... in the central Gaza Strip with bullets and tank shells" in the early hours of Tuesday. Israel launched its war on Gaza after Palestinian Hamas militants attacked in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed nearly 55,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, while displacing almost the entire population of more than two million and causing a hunger crisis.
The Herald
4 days ago
- Health
- The Herald
Weaponisation of food in Gaza constitutes war crime, UN rights office says
The UN human rights office said on Tuesday the 'weaponisation' of food for civilians in Gaza constitutes a war crime, in its strongest remarks yet on a new model of aid distribution run by an Israeli-backed organisation. More than 410 people have been killed by gunshots or shells fired by the Israeli military while trying to reach distribution sites of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation since it began work in late May, UN human rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters at a Geneva press briefing. The death toll has been independently verified by his office, he added. 'Desperate, hungry people in Gaza continue to face the inhumane choice of either starving to death or risk being killed while trying to get food,' he said, describing the system as 'Israel's militarised humanitarian assistance mechanism'. 'The weaponisation of food for civilians, in addition to restricting or preventing their access to life-sustaining services, constitutes a war crime and, under certain circumstances, may constitute elements of other crimes under international law.' Asked whether Israel was guilty of that war crime, he said: 'The legal qualification needs to be made by a court of law.' Israel rejects war crimes charges in Gaza and blames Hamas fighters for harm to civilians for operating among them, which the fighters deny. Reuters
CNA
4 days ago
- Health
- CNA
Weaponisation of food in Gaza constitutes war crime: UN human rights office
GENEVA: The United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday (Jun 24) that the "weaponisation" of food for civilians in Gaza constitutes a war crime, in its strongest remarks yet on a new model of aid distribution run by an Israeli-backed organisation. Over 410 people have been killed by gunshots or shells fired by the Israeli military while trying to reach distribution sites of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation since it began work in late May, UN human rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters at a Geneva press briefing. The death toll came from Palestinian health authorities and other sources, including non-governmental organisations, and is in the process of being verified by his office, he added. "Desperate, hungry people in Gaza continue to face the inhumane choice of either starving to death or risk being killed while trying to get food," he said, describing the system as "Israel's militarised humanitarian assistance mechanism". "The weaponisation of food for civilians, in addition to restricting or preventing their access to life-sustaining services, constitutes a war crime and, under certain circumstances, may constitute elements of other crimes under international law." Asked whether Israel was guilty of that war crime, he said: "The legal qualification needs to be made by a court of law." Israel rejects war crimes charges in Gaza and blames Hamas fighters for harm to civilians for operating among them, which the fighters deny.
