The starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime and must be stopped immediately. 

Palestinians are being killed and injured while queuing for desperately needed food in militarised aid distribution chokepoints. Malnutrition and starvation are rife. The horrific death toll from bullets and bombs to date is now magnified by the terrible toll of deliberately withholding food and medicine.

This terrible toll is a direct result of Israel’s weaponised aid distribution scheme in Gaza. The small changes announced by the Israeli Government are not enough. If the international community continues to stand by without taking concrete action as war crimes against humanity pile up, it will have to answer for aiding and abetting a genocide.

Greenpeace renews our call on world leaders for concrete and immediate action in the face of ethnic cleansing and famine in Gaza and we support Action Against Hunger’s key demands to lift all bureaucratic and administrative restrictions; open all land crossings; ensure access to everyone in all of Gaza; reject military-controlled distribution models; restore a principled, UN-led humanitarian response; and continue to fund principled and impartial humanitarian organisations.

Only by immediately ending the siege and releasing all UN aid convoys amassed on the border can worsening famine be averted.

In addition, Greenpeace demands:

• The release by Israel of all illegally detained Palestinians.
• The release by Hamas of all hostages.
• An immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire to halt the assault on civilians and the environment.
• The imposition of targeted sanctions and a comprehensive arms embargo, enforced by the international community.
• The unhindered delivery of aid by the UN and other humanitarian organisations.
• An end to the illegal occupation of Palestine.

ENDS

Contacts:

Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]