This comes on foot of a scorecard released by Oxfam and seven other humanitarian organisations assessing Israel’s progress against the demands of US Secretaries of State and Defence issued on the 13th of October this year. The deadline for compliance was today and Oxfam has found that Israel has utterly failed to comply with its ally’s demands and that failure has come at enormous cost to Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
The scorecard has found that people are being starved in Gaza: Israeli military operations have denied Palestinians critical food aid and basic necessities, which has, in turn, caused conditions approaching famine for 800,000 civilians across Gaza. Conditions are worst in Gaza’s north, where Israel launched a major operation in October that has cut off humanitarian aid to the area.
“We are witnessing a campaign of ethnic cleansing in Gaza. Over the past month Israeli forces have accelerated their efforts to bombard, depopulate, deprive and to erase the Palestinian population of northern Gaza.
"The humanitarian situation in Gaza is now at the worst point since current hostilities began. It is a crime against humanity to unleash famine upon a population, which Israel has done. It is an affront to international law and a stain on the global conscience. Ireland has an opportunity and a responsibility to take a strong stand.
"The Irish Government, and all political parties in this General Election campaign, must commit to working at EU level to implement an EU-wide arms embargo as well as asking our US allies to cease this lethal trade. The EU-Israel trade agreement should be immediately suspended.
“Passing the Occupied Territories Bill should be the first act of any incoming government. This is a critical step in holding Israel to account for continuing to expand illegal settlements. It sends a strong message that Ireland will not tolerate, nor support, the denial of human rights and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.
“Random searches on planes going through Irish airspace should also be legislated for. Ireland needs to continue to champion UNRWA and those humanitarian organisations who continue to work on the ground in Gaza despite the conditions. Everyone needs to plan now for the reconstruction of Gaza should the hoped for ceasefire ever eventualise”.
— Jim Clarken, Oxfam Ireland CEO
ENDS
For media enquiries, please contact:
Clare Cronin, Head of Communications & Campaigns – Oxfam IE Clare.cronin@oxfam.org +353 87 195 2551
In October, Israeli forces launched a new military operation against remaining Palestinian armed groups in the governorate of North Gaza, which includes the municipalities of Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun, subsequently cutting off humanitarian aid and besieging the region’s then-remaining 200,000 civilians.
On October 6, Israeli authorities designated all of North Gaza as a combat zone and ordered the entire civilian population to evacuate. Since then, aid workers have been largely prevented from accessing North Gaza.
Humanitarian deliveries to North Gaza ceased entirely in the first two weeks of October, while only a small amount of assistance has been delivered to neighbouring Gaza City during that period.
An estimated 100,000 people have been displaced from North Gaza to Gaza City and between 75,000 and 95,000 people remain besieged in North Gaza without medical or food supplies.
“We are witnessing a campaign of ethnic cleansing in Gaza. Over the past month Israeli forces have accelerated their efforts to bombard, depopulate, deprive and to erase the Palestinian population of northern Gaza.
