[Regnum] The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has accused Israel of committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip. This was reported on March 8 by the Qatari television channel Al Jazeera.
Israel has been accused of continuing to kill Palestinian civilians and blocking all humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. It is noted that the OHCHR report states that at least 58 Palestinians, including ten children and three women, have been killed since the ceasefire.
“Attacking Palestinians who are not actively participating in the hostilities constitutes a war crime, regardless of the restrictions on movement imposed by Israel,” the OHCHR report emphasizes.
The UN agency said the Israeli blockade, which has now entered its seventh day, has resulted in a sharp rise in prices that could once again trigger famine in the Palestinian enclave.
"As an occupying power, Israel has a legal obligation to provide essential services to the Palestinians living under its control. Any denial of essential services to civilians may amount to collective punishment, and the use of starvation as a weapon of war constitutes a war crime," the OHCHR explained.
Earlier, Regnum News Agency reported that in mid-January, Israel and Hamas, during negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, concluded an agreement on a temporary truce in the Gaza Strip. It should take place in three stages: the first - Israel will withdraw its troops from Gaza, and Hamas will release 33 hostages, the second - the release of the remaining Israeli prisoners and a permanent ceasefire, the third - an exchange of bodies of the dead.
On February 22, Hamas released the last of the hostages in the first phase of the truce. Israel was supposed to release 602 Palestinian prisoners, including at least one with a life sentence, from prison as part of the exchange. On February 23, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners from prisons was suspended due to the “humiliating ceremonies” of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas during the release of Israeli hostages.
On February 27, Hamas handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages to the International Red Cross.
On March 2, Israel agreed to a US proposal for a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip during Ramadan and Passover. The decision was made by Netanyahu, with the participation of the defense minister and the negotiating team.
On March 6, US President Donald Trump threatened members of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas with death if they did not release all Israeli hostages and return the bodies "immediately."