{"id":283481,"date":"2024-12-30T12:00:22","date_gmt":"2024-12-30T12:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=283481"},"modified":"2024-12-24T06:09:11","modified_gmt":"2024-12-24T06:09:11","slug":"israels-crime-of-extermination-acts-of-genocide-in-gaza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2024\/12\/israels-crime-of-extermination-acts-of-genocide-in-gaza\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel\u2019s Crime of Extermination, Acts of Genocide in Gaza"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_283482\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/gaza-israel-genocide-palestine-5.webp\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-283482\" class=\"wp-image-283482\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/gaza-israel-genocide-palestine-5-1024x683.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/gaza-israel-genocide-palestine-5-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/gaza-israel-genocide-palestine-5-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/gaza-israel-genocide-palestine-5-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/gaza-israel-genocide-palestine-5.webp 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-283482\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Palestinians returning to Khan Younis after the withdrawal of Israeli forces pull water containers to meet their vital needs under catastrophic conditions on 6 May 2024.<br \/>\u00a9 2024 Ali Jadallah\/Anadolu via Getty Images<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p>19 Dec 2024 &#8211;<em> Authorities\u2019 Widespread Deprivation of Water Threatens Survival <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li>Israeli authorities have deliberately inflicted conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the population in Gaza by intentionally depriving Palestinian civilians there of adequate access to water, most likely resulting in thousands of deaths.<\/li>\n<li>In doing so, Israeli authorities are responsible for the crime against humanity of extermination and for acts of genocide. The pattern of conduct, coupled with\u00a0statements suggesting that some Israeli officials wished to destroy Palestinians in Gaza,\u00a0may amount to the crime of genocide.<\/li>\n<li>Governments and international organizations should take all measures to prevent genocide in Gaza, including discontinuing military assistance, reviewing bilateral agreements and diplomatic relations, and supporting the International Criminal Court and other accountability efforts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>(Jerusalem) \u2013\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/middle-east\/north-africa\/israel\/palestine\" >Israeli<\/a>\u00a0authorities have intentionally deprived Palestinian civilians in Gaza of adequate access to water since October 2023, most likely resulting in thousands of deaths and thus committing the crime against humanity of extermination and acts of genocide, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/human-rights-watch-logo.png\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-108869\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/human-rights-watch-logo.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"224\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/human-rights-watch-logo.png 224w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/human-rights-watch-logo-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 224px) 100vw, 224px\" \/><\/a>In the 179-page report, \u201c<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/node\/390031\" >Extermination and Acts of Genocide: Israel Deliberately Depriving Palestinians in Gaza of Water<\/a>,\u201d Human Rights Watch found that Israeli authorities have intentionally deprived Palestinians in Gaza of access to safe water for drinking and sanitation needed for basic human survival. Israeli authorities and forces cut off and later restricted piped water to Gaza; rendered most of Gaza\u2019s water and sanitation infrastructure useless by cutting electricity and restricting fuel; deliberately destroyed and damaged water and sanitation infrastructure and water repair materials; and blocked the entry of critical water supplies.<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed align-right embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-node embedded-entity-bundle-report embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--right\">\n<div class=\"media-related flex md:ml-8\">\n<div class=\"media-related__content pl-4\">\n<div class=\"media-related__info text-base text-gray-700\">\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"media-related__title text-gray-900 text-2xl leading-tight font-medium font-sans mt-1\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/report\/2024\/12\/19\/extermination-and-acts-genocide\/israel-deliberately-depriving-palestinians-gaza\" class=\"media-related__title-link hover:underline focus:underline\" ><em>Extermination and Acts of Genocide:<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0 Israel Deliberately Depriving Palestinians in Gaza of Water<\/em><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cWater is essential for human life, yet for over a year the Israeli government has deliberately denied Palestinians in Gaza the bare minimum they need to survive,\u201d said <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/about\/people\/tirana-hassan\" >Tirana Hassan<\/a>, executive director at Human Rights Watch. \u201cThis isn\u2019t just negligence; it is a calculated policy of deprivation that has led to the deaths of thousands from dehydration and disease that is nothing short of the crime against humanity of extermination, and an act of genocide.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Human Rights Watch interviewed 66 Palestinians from Gaza, 4 employees of Gaza\u2019s Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU), 31 healthcare professionals, and 15 people working with United Nations agencies and international aid organizations in Gaza. Human Rights Watch also analyzed satellite imagery, photographs, and videos captured between the beginning of the hostilities in October 2023 and September 2024, as well as data collected and estimates produced by doctors, epidemiologists, humanitarian aid organizations, and water and sanitation experts.<\/p>\n<p>Human Rights Watch concluded that Israeli authorities have intentionally created conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians in Gaza in whole or in part. This policy, inflicted as part of a mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, means Israeli authorities have committed the crime against humanity of extermination, which is ongoing. This policy also amounts to one of the five \u201cacts of genocide\u201d under the Genocide Convention of 1948.\u00a0Genocidal intent may also be inferred from this policy, coupled with statements suggesting some Israeli officials wished to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, and therefore the policy may amount to the crime of genocide.<\/p>\n<p>Immediately after the\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2024\/07\/17\/october-7-crimes-against-humanity-war-crimes-hamas-led-groups\" >attacks in southern Israel<\/a> by Hamas-led Palestinian armed groups in Gaza on October 7, 2023, which Human Rights Watch has found amounted to <span class=\"onomasticon onomasticon-cursor-default\" tabindex=\"0\" title=\"war crimes (\u062c\u0631\u0627\u0626\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u062d\u0631\u0628)\" data-tooltip=\"War crimes are serious violations of international humanitarian law committed by individuals with criminal intent. Criminal intent means the violation was carried out deliberately or recklessly. Individuals who order, assist, and aid and abet offenses are also responsible for war crimes.\" aria-label=\"Explain glossary term war crimes\" data-once=\"enable_tooltips\">war crimes<\/span> and <span class=\"onomasticon onomasticon-cursor-default\" tabindex=\"0\" title=\"crimes against humanity\" data-tooltip=\"Crimes against humanity are certain crimes (for example murder, torture, deportation or apartheid) committed by members of government forces or a non-state armed group that are knowingly committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack on a specific civilian population. Widespread could mean many attacks or one major attack. Systematic means the attack was well planned by those who carried it out.\" aria-label=\"Explain glossary term crimes against humanity\" data-once=\"enable_tooltips\">crimes against humanity<\/span>, Israeli authorities cut all electricity and fuel to the Gaza Strip. On October 9, then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/yoavgallant\/status\/1711335592942875097\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">announced<\/a> a \u201ccomplete siege\u201d of Gaza, stating: \u201cThere will be no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel, everything is closed.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_283492\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/gaza_water-palestine-israel-genocide-scaled.jpg\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-283492\" class=\"wp-image-283492\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/gaza_water-palestine-israel-genocide-531x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"772\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/gaza_water-palestine-israel-genocide-531x1024.jpg 531w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/gaza_water-palestine-israel-genocide-156x300.jpg 156w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/gaza_water-palestine-israel-genocide-768x1481.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/gaza_water-palestine-israel-genocide-796x1536.jpg 796w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/gaza_water-palestine-israel-genocide-1062x2048.jpg 1062w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/gaza_water-palestine-israel-genocide-scaled.jpg 1327w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-283492\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00a9 2024 Human Rights Watch<\/p><\/div>\n<p>That same day, and for weeks thereafter, Israeli authorities cut off all water and blocked fuel, food, and humanitarian aid from entering the strip. Israeli authorities continue to restrict the entry of water, fuel, food, and aid into Gaza and to cut Gaza\u2019s electricity, which is required to operate life-sustaining infrastructure. This continued even after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued provisional measures in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.icj-cij.org\/node\/203447\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.icj-cij.org\/node\/203847\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March<\/a>, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.icj-cij.org\/node\/204091\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">May<\/a> 2024 ordering Israeli authorities to protect Palestinians in Gaza from genocide and, in so doing, provide humanitarian aid, specifying in March that this includes water, food, electricity, and fuel.<\/p>\n<p>Israeli authorities have also <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2024\/05\/07\/gaza-israel-flouts-world-court-orders\" >barred<\/a> nearly all water-related aid from entering Gaza, including water filtration systems, water tanks, and materials needed to repair water infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>Between October 2023 and August 2024, the Gaza Coastal Municipalities Water Utility, the UN, and other sources reported that people in Gaza did not have access to the minimum amount of water needed for survival in long-term emergency situations. In northern Gaza, the UN reported that people did not have access to potable water for over five months, between November 2023 and April 2024. While a study of water access in August showed that people\u2019s access to water had increased, most people still did not have adequate water needed for drinking and cooking.<\/p>\n<p>Human Rights Watch found that Israeli forces have deliberately attacked and damaged or destroyed several major water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities. In several cases, Human Rights Watch found evidence that Israeli ground forces were in control of the areas at the time, indicating that the destruction was deliberate.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2024\/12\/19\/israels-crime-extermination-acts-genocide-gaza\" >TO CONTINUE READING Go to Original &#8211; hrw.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>19 Dec 2024 &#8211; Authorities\u2019 Widespread Deprivation of Water Threatens Survival<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":108869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[224],"tags":[1854,1199,1175,87,865,487,1966,88,427,70,965,1685],"class_list":["post-283481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-human-rights","tag-crimes-against-humanity","tag-ethnic-cleansing","tag-extinction","tag-gaza","tag-genocide","tag-human-rights","tag-hunger","tag-israel","tag-palestine","tag-usa","tag-war-crimes","tag-water"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=283481"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283481\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":283493,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283481\/revisions\/283493"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/108869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=283481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=283481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=283481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}