Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian territory, has stated that sanitised jargon used by the Israeli military during its onslaught against civilians in Gaza is designed to “camouflage” killing.
Albanese said that Israel’s use of terms from international humanitarian law such as “evacuation orders” and “safe zones” create the illusion that its military operations ensure protection of civilians.
She noted that the reality could not be further from the truth.
“This ‘humanitarian camouflage’ has de facto turned Gaza into a place ‘without civilians’, where everything is destroyable & everyone is killable.”
Francesca Albanese
Sam Rose, UNRWA’s Director of planning, disclosed that while the organisation has had some recent successes in bringing aid into northern Gaza, the gains have “reversed completely” in southern Gaza as Israel presses on with its offensive.
Rose said that the closure of crossings has made it “nearly impossible” to bring aid into the south, let alone in the volumes before the incursion.
Rose added that with more than half a million people on the move, it is also impossible to provide reliable water, sanitation or healthcare services that people there also need.
“This is an increasingly urgent situation. Unless we do something about it in the coming days, an already desperate situation will become far, far worse.”
Sam Rose
Meanwhile, The International Rescue Committee (IRC) revealed that it is facing “significant disruptions to its humanitarian operations” following Israel’s ground operations in Rafah, southern Gaza, which resulted in the closure of the Rafah crossing and a blockade on entry of humanitarian workers and aid.
“An IRC and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) emergency medical team (EMT) was initially scheduled to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing on May 13. They remain unable to do so due to the persistent closure of the crossing,” the IRC said in a statement.
Kiryn Lanning, IRC team lead for the occupied Palestinian territory, said, “I have recently returned from Gaza, where the scale of the crisis defies imagination.”
Lanning added, “Facilities across southern Gaza have been repurposed into makeshift shelters overflowing into the streets. This displaced population is now facing acute short ages of basic necessities such as food, water, and adequate sanitation.”
Global Security Threatened By Israel’s Impunity
According to Palestinian rights lawyer, Ammar Dweik, failure to hold Israel responsible for its international law violations is not only endangering Palestinians, but the entire world order.
He asserted, “Israel is acting above international law with no accountability that’s why it’s going on with the genocide, with war crimes, with crimes against humanity, without any consequences to its leaders.”
He added, “The way Israel is acting is not only making things dangerous for Palestinians but for everyone, because people see the world order collapsing before their eyes.”
Dweik said that he held “some hope” international bodies such as the International Criminal Court would take action against Israeli authorities, including through possible indictments, but cautioned that such steps were unlikely to immediately alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.
“This pressure is not enough. Too many victims have lost their lives, but still we need to continue this path. It’s not only for Palestinians, but also for the entire world to have a credible, accountability system that is independent, that is efficient.”
Ammar Dweik
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