Israel accused of war crimes [AGAIN & AGAIN] for blocking all aid into Gaza

al Jazeera:

Israel accused of war crimes for blocking all aid into Gaza




By Lyndal Rowlands
Published On 3 Mar 20253 Mar 2025

• Palestinians in Gaza fear hunger and starvation during Ramadan after Israel blocked all humanitarian aid into the enclave, with one woman in the Jabalia refugee camp warning “there will be famine and chaos”.
• The United Nations and countries around the world condemned the Israeli move, with Egypt, Qatar and Jordan calling it a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement and humanitarian laws.
• Hamas rejected Israel’s demand to extend phase one of the ceasefire deal, which expired on Saturday, and insisted on continuing to phase two, which calls for the release of all remaining captives and an end to Israel’s war on Gaza.
• Palestinian deaths in Israel’s war on Gaza, while 111,803 people have been wounded. The Government Media Office updated its death toll to at least 61,709, saying thousands of Palestinians missing under the rubble are presumed dead.

US Muslim group condemns Israel’s ban on Gaza aid

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says the far-right Israel’s decision to block all humanitarian aid going into Gaza adds to the war crimes case against Israeli leaders at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“The decision by the far-right government of indicted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu to block all humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza during Ramadan is a clear war crime and is further evidence of Israel’s genocidal intent,” the Washington, DC-based organisation said.

“Israel’s renewed cruel and illegal campaign of forced starvation adds more evidence to the International Criminal Court’s genocide case against Israeli officials.”

CAIR noted media reports that indicated the move was coordinated with the Trump administration, and added:

“It is unconscionable that our nation’s government would reportedly support this crime against humanity.”

The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

In their decision, the ICC judges said there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant were criminally responsible for acts including murder, persecution and starvation as a weapon of war as part of a “widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza”.

What can countries in the Middle East do about Israel’s latest move?


Benjamin Friedman, the policy director at Defense Priorities, says regional partners are likely to struggle negotiating with an Israel that is backed by the Trump administration.

“Steve Witkoff is the envoy handling negotiations for the US. He has a good relationship with the Qatari government. The last Trump administration certainly was close to Saudi Arabia. So I think the regional governments have a voice,” Friedman said from Washington, DC.

“The problem is that this president is notably close not only to Netanyahu himself, but to the Israeli right-wing and their backers in the US. So I worry that the voices of the people calling for the implementation of the ceasefire deal that was negotiated will be drowned out by more right wing voices in the US and Israel,” he said.

Friedman questioned Israel’s commitment to ever pulling out of Gaza, asking if it had done so only to get some captives back.

“I think we are going to see Israel is not prepared to pull its troops out. I’m not confident that the Trump administration will put any pressure on them to do so, which is what the original ceasefire plan that the US set up called for,” he said.

“I think the Israeli government might be looking to restart the war after getting as many hostages back as possible. But I hope that they can stay on track and resume serious talks.”