“Since the start of the war, Israeli officials have publicly supported policies that strip Palestinians of the necessities necessary to sustain life – food, water and fuel,” the Committee said. “These statements, as well as the systematic and illegal interference with humanitarian aid, clearly demonstrate Israel’s intention to exploit vital supplies for political and military gains. »
Covering the period from October 2023 to July 2024, the report examines developments in the occupied Palestinian territory and the occupied Syrian Golan, but focuses on the catastrophic impact of the ongoing war in Gaza on Palestinian rights.
“By its siege on Gaza, its obstruction of humanitarian aid, as well as its targeted attacks and killing of civilians and aid workers, despite repeated appeals from the UN, binding orders from the International Court of Justice and Security Council resolutions, Israel intentionally causes death, starvation and serious injury, using starvation as a method of warfare and inflicting collective punishment on the Palestinian population,” the Committee said.
The report documents how Israel’s extensive bombing campaign in Gaza has decimated essential services and triggered an environmental catastrophe that will have lasting health impacts. By early 2024, more than 25,000 tonnes of explosives – equivalent to two nuclear bombs – had been dropped on Gaza, causing mass destruction and the collapse of water and sanitation systems, agricultural devastation and toxic pollution. .
“By destroying vital water, sanitation and food systems, and contaminating the environment, Israel has created a deadly mix of crises that will inflict grave harm on generations to come,” the Committee said.
The report raises serious concerns about Israel’s use of AI-powered targeting systems in directing its military operations, and the impact it has had on civilians, particularly in the overwhelming number of women and children among the victims.
“The Israeli military’s use of AI-assisted targeting, with minimal human oversight, combined with heavy bombs, underscores Israel’s disregard for its obligation to distinguish between civilians and combatants and to take adequate safeguards to prevent civilian deaths,” the Committee said.
Amid the devastation in Gaza, Israel’s escalation of media censorship, suppression of dissent and targeting of journalists are deliberate efforts to block global access to information, the Committee found. He also noted how social media companies have disproportionately removed “pro-Palestinian content” compared to posts inciting violence against Palestinians.
The Committee condemned the ongoing smear campaign and other attacks against UNRWA and the UN in general.
“This deliberate silencing of reporting, combined with disinformation and attacks on aid workers, is a clear strategy to undermine the vital work of the UN, attack the lifeline of aid still reaching Gaza and to dismantle the international legal order,” the Committee said.
The Committee called on all member states to uphold their legal obligations to prevent and end violations of international law by Israel and to hold them accountable.
“It is the collective responsibility of every state to stop supporting the assault on Gaza and the apartheid system in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” the Committee said.
“The maintenance of international law and responsibility for violations lies directly with member states. Failure to do so weakens the very core of the international legal system and sets a dangerous precedent, allowing atrocities to go unchecked. »
The Committee’s report will be presented to the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly on November 18, 2024.
