Israel's Current Humanitarian Responsibilities in Gaza Strip
Israel needs to maintain its humanitarian responsibilities within the Gaza Strip, according to Merz. - Israel ought to adhere to its "humanitarian duties" within Gaza
As the occupying power in the Gaza Strip, Israel holds significant humanitarian obligations under international law. These duties comprise:
- Supplying Basic Necessities: Israel must guarantee access to vital resources like food, water, and medical supplies required for the inhabitants' survival.
- Protecting Civilians: Israel is responsible for providing civilian protections and refraining from administering collective punishment, which is prohibited under international law.
- Adherence to International Humanitarian Law: This includes abstaining from utilizing starvation as a weapon of war and ensuring that their actions are both proportionate and distinguishable between civilians and combatants.
The Present Condition of Humanitarian Aid Access
By May 2025, humanitarian aid access to the Gaza Strip has been restricted significantly. Amnesty International has pointed out that Israel's siege, starting on March 2, 2025, by blocking life-critical supplies, constitutes collective punishment and a war crime under international law [1]. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) continues to document the situation, with ongoing reports stressing the severe humanitarian conditions in Gaza due to continuous restrictions [2].
In practice, these limitations have led to:
- Slow Aid Delivery: Humanitarian aid frequently encounters significant delays or is wholly banned from entering the Gaza Strip.
- Heightened Suffering: The insufficient supply of essential resources has intensified food insecurity, limited healthcare access, and escalated civilian suffering in Gaza.
- Infrastructure Collapse: The siege has also affected the maintenance and repair of critical infrastructure, such as water and sanitation facilities, further deteriorating living conditions.
International organizations' attempts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis are hampered by these restrictions, highlighting the urgent need for immediate measures to restore aid access and cater to the basic needs of Gaza's population.
[1] Amnesty International, "Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories: A chokehold on Gaza," May 2025. https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde20/9232/2025/en/[2] United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), "Gaza Strip: Humanitarian Snapshot," May 2025. https://ochaopt.org/content/ocha-opt-gaza-strip-humanitarian-snapshot-22-may
- The Commission, consulted on the draft directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens, has also warned about the potential dangers in war-and-conflicts zones like Gaza, emphasizing the need for strict adherence to international humanitarian law.
- Israel, as the occupying power in Gaza, has not only failed to supply basic necessities but also restricted humanitarian aid access, leading to a slow delivery of essential resources, a situation that Friedrich, a political analyst, contends amounts to collective punishment and a war crime under international law.
- In the realm of federal politics, there are calls for Israel to adhere to its humanitarian responsibilities in Gaza, with general news outlets reporting on the escalating human suffering caused by infrastructure collapse, food insecurity, and limited healthcare access.
- Despite repeated warnings, Israel's ongoing presence in the Gaza Strip, characterized by the blocking of life-critical supplies and restriction of humanitarian aid, continues to infringe on the rights of the Gaza population and further exacerbate the already dire conditions in the region.
