As part of international advocacy to highlight war crimes and genocide through imposing blockades and preventing the entry of food and medical supplies, the Palestinian Association for Human Rights (Witness) has sent legal memorandums to international and UN bodies, urging urgent action to end the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip, which is being used as a weapon of war through starvation, on May 5, 2025.
(Witness) addressed its memorandums to the representatives of diplomatic missions to the United Nations, as well as several UN rapporteurs, particularly the special rapporteur on the human right to food, and the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, along with more than 20 international figures and organizations.
In its memorandum, (Witness) emphasized that the blockade imposed by Israeli authorities since October 7, 2023, on the Gaza Strip has resulted in an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, with more than two million Palestinians facing the risk of death by starvation.
(Witness) also referred to statements made by the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom, who described the situation in Gaza as catastrophic, stating that "two million people are suffering from acute hunger."
(Witness) pointed out that since the beginning of March 2025, Israel has completely prevented the entry of food, medicine, and fuel, in clear violation of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and international law, making the use of starvation as a method of warfare a defined crime in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
(Witness) demanded urgent international action, including:
▶️ Calling on the UN Security Council and the General Assembly to take immediate action to lift the blockade and open the crossings.
▶️ Activating legal accountability in the International Criminal Court against Israeli officials who have used famine as a weapon of war.
▶️ Imposing targeted sanctions on Israeli officials involved and halting military cooperation that may contribute to the continuation of these crimes.
▶️ Strengthening support for humanitarian organizations to document violations and ensure aid reaches Gaza through alternative routes.
Beirut, May 5, 2025
The Palestinian Association for Human Rights (Witness)