In a joint statement issued on Monday, the institutions confirmed that these statements contradict documented international reports that highlight a worsening situation in the sector, where famine has claimed the lives of 159 people, including 90 children. These figures reflect the magnitude of the humanitarian crime, according to the ‘Palestine Online’ website. The institutions called on the United Nations and the Security Council to dispatch an independent international investigation committee to investigate the starvation policy, which they described as a ‘war crime,’ urging for an expedited investigation into violations against Palestinians and holding those involved accountable.
They also demanded that international journalists be allowed to enter the sector after a ban that lasted more than ten months, with the aim of exposing the violations. The institutions criticized governments, such as, for their role in obstructing aid delivery, urging them to assume their legal and ethical responsibilities.
Witkoff had visited a humanitarian aid distribution center in Rafah, supported by Israel and America, and denied the existence of famine, contradicting statements by the American president who acknowledged severe hunger. The people of the Gaza Strip suffer from unprecedented levels of hunger, with UN organizations warning of a spread of famine and a rise in deaths caused by malnutrition, especially among children, patients, and those with disabilities.
From October 7, 2023, to August 3 of this year, the war on Gaza has resulted in the death of about 61,000 Palestinians, in addition to about 150,000 injured, according to data from the Ministry of Health in the sector.
