HAMILTON, Canada
The UN's Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People demanded the immediate lifting of Israel's blockade on Gaza on Tuesday, warning that deprivation and disease are ravaging the displaced population.
Condemning the Israeli siege imposed March 2, the committee said the collapse of the cease-fire on March 18 has led to relentless bombardments, worsening the humanitarian catastrophe.
"Since 18 March, more than 2,308 Palestinians have been killed, part of over 52,400 killed and 118,000 injured, the majority of them women and children, since 7 October 2023, amid relentless bombardment and blockade," said the committee.
It emphasized the urgency of humanitarian access, citing the UN World Food Programme's announcement April 25 that its last food stocks had been delivered.
"Israel's punitive action, preventing all humanitarian access to Gaza, has compounded conditions of starvation, spread of diseases and deprivation among a population of more than 1.9 million forcibly and repeatedly displaced," it said. "Such measures flagrantly violate international humanitarian and human rights law, defy the most basic principles of humanity, and must end immediately."
Rejecting any forced displacement of Palestinians under the guise of "voluntary migration" or "redevelopment," the committee called such proposals "inhumane and illegal."
It also welcomed advisory proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and urged a swift opinion on whether Israel is violating international law by preventing humanitarian aid.
It expressed support for the High-Level International Conference in June, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, to help end the occupation and realize Palestinian statehood.