TEHRAN - All the laws of the war have been largely and unbelievably violated in the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

In the first step after Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on October 7, Israel cut off water, food, medicine, and other essentials to the blockaded strip, which houses 2.3 million people.

It is Hamas that launched the attack on southern Israel whose members are ready to die for their cause, which is ending occupation, humiliation and apartheid. But what is the fault of the ordinary people, especially children?

What has been done against the population in Gaza will leave a dark stain on the forehead of humanity just as the Rwanda and Srebrenica massacres.

For a normal human being the cutoff of water and food to civilians is horrific and unimaginable.

According to international law, collective punishment is a war crime.

Two days after the start of the war, Israel’s so-called defense minister Yoav Gallant defended banning the flow of necessities to Gaza, saying, “We are fighting human animals”. 

Denying water and food to non-combatant people is a clear example of cruelty. It is purely sadistic.

Gaza is at ‘high risk’ of famine

A draft report on June 24 said the entire Gaza Strip remains at “high risk” of famine after Israel’s offensive in Rafah caused displacement and the disruption of aid operations in the south.

The report by the leading international authority on the severity of hunger crises said more than 495,000 people, or greater than a fifth of the population of 2.3 million, are expected to experience the highest level of starvation in the coming months, the Associated Press reported.

The latest findings come from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, an initiative first set up in 2004 during the famine in Somalia.

Israel not only cut off food and water, its troops also killed people waiting to receive humanitarian aid. The “Flour Massacre” on February 29 is now recorded in history.

UNRWA says thousands of families in Gaza are now using seawater. This is because sadistic bombardments have wrecked all of the enclave’s water wells.

International humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL) have been taken to the slaughterhouse in Gaza.

The horrific crime of starving Gazans will not end even if the war ends tomorrow. It badly affects the physical and cognitive development of people, especially children.

Actually, an entire generation is badly affected. Scientifically speaking, the effects of starvation and malnutrition will even affect the next generation or generations.

Remember that based on international law intentional starvation is a war crime.