Total siege of Gaza ‘prohibited’ under international law – UN

Israel’s total siege of Gaza, depriving civilians of water and food, is “prohibited” under international law, said the United Nations human rights chief on Tuesday.

The UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, said that people’s dignity and lives must be respected while calling for all sides to disarm “explosive powder-keg situation”.

Palestine’s Hamas captured around 150 people during its surprise weekend assault on Israel, and held them hostages while threatening to execute them if Israeli air strikes continue “targeting” Gazan civilians.

The threat by Hamas came right after Israel imposed a total siege on the Gaza Strip on Monday.

The siege cuts off food, water, medicine, fuel, and electricity, in a situation that Israel called a fight against “human animals”.

“International humanitarian law is clear: the obligation to take constant care to spare the civilian population and civilian objects remains applicable throughout the attacks,” Türk said in a statement.

The siege will take part in worsening the already dire human rights and humanitarian situation in Gaza.

According to the statement, this will include worsening the capacity of medical facilities to operate, with an increasing number of injured civilians.

“The imposition of sieges that endanger the lives of civilians by depriving them of goods essential for their survival is prohibited under international humanitarian law,” Türk added.

The statement also said that all restrictions on the movement of people and goods should only be justified by military necessity or else it may amount to collective punishment.