GENEVA, (PIC)
The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has accused the Israeli occupation army of persisting in imposing an inhumane blockade on the Gaza Strip and preventing the entry of humanitarian aid and indispensable needs for the population.
“The Israeli authorities continue to enforce their ongoing arbitrary blockade of the Gaza Strip, refusing to allow humanitarian aid and necessities that are essential for survival — such as cleaning and personal hygiene supplies — into the Strip. This comes amid the spread of infectious diseases and on top of the precarious living conditions faced by the approximately 2.3 million Palestinians in the enclave, constituting a perpetuation of Israel’s comprehensive crime of genocide, which began on October 7, 2023,” Euro-Med said in a statement on Wednesday.
Euro-Med emphasized that “the consequences of Israel’s intentional worsening of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip by blocking people’s access to cleaning and personal hygiene products, medical equipment, and sterilization supplies are dire.”
“Nothing justifies subjecting the population to conditions that can lead to widespread death, including by causing the spread of serious skin diseases and infections, including hepatitis,” Euro-Med added.
“Israel continues to systematically and arbitrarily deny hygiene supplies and equipment to all the Gaza Strip residents, exacerbating the catastrophic health crisis that Israel has caused there. This crisis has been made worse by the population’s exposure to forced, widespread, and repeatedly occurring displacement,” Euro-Med underlined.
“Approximately 680,000 women and girls in the Gaza Strip are of reproductive age. These individuals lack access to menstrual pads and other essentials, and also face other challenges such as inadequate access to water, toilets, various hygiene products, and privacy,” Euro-Med pointed out.
“We do not have the money to buy enough meals for our children, so we cannot buy cleaning materials and soap in light of their high prices and the lack of availability,” a local resident told the Euro-Med team. “My spouse and kids’ hair has been infected with lice, and we all have skin diseases as a result of not washing and not using enough soap and shampoo.”
Tens of thousands of cases of skin diseases, including eczema, have been reported to medical facilities after they have cropped up and spread in shelters and camps for displaced people who live in tents, according to Euro-Med.
“The Israeli authorities have placed an arbitrary and oppressive siege on the Palestinian people there, squeezing them into a tiny area with exceedingly limited resources; denying them access to food, clean water, and other necessities; and leaving them exposed to extreme heat,” Euro-Med said.
“The right to dignity is an internationally recognized human right that protects people from humiliation, among other forms of unethical treatment. It is meant to ensure fairness by providing the means for people to live in dignity, as well as other fundamental needs and rights, like the right to health and the right to water and sanitation. These rights are essential to maintaining human dignity and preserving the lives of the populace.”
“The only way to guarantee the rights of Gaza Strip residents is to put an end to Israel’s crime of genocide, lift the arbitrary siege on the Strip, and rescue what remains of the currently uninhabitable region. Delays will either cause the region to irreversibly deteriorate, or incur significant costs in terms of civilian lives and health,” Euro-Med affirmed.
