The United Nations said on Tuesday that the total blockade Israel imposes on the Gaza Strip is forbidden under international humanitarian law and may amount to collective punishment.United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called for the need to respect people’s dignity and lives, referring to the serious deterioration of conditions on the ground due to ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip for the fourth day in a row.Israel’s “imposition of sieges that endanger the lives of civilians by depriving them of goods essential for their survival is prohibited under international humanitarian law”, he said in a statement.”This risks seriously compounding the already dire human rights and humanitarian situation in Gaza, including the capacity of medical facilities to operate, especially in light of increasing numbers of injured,” he said, adding that a siege may amount to “collective punishment”.
Source: Jordan News Agency