Bombing Residential Houses a War Crime and Serious Escalation Against Palestinians

May 11, 2023; 16:00

The Israeli occupation is still escalating its aggression against the Palestinian people for the third day in a row, as the toll of aggression has reached, until the moment of writing this statement, 25 martyrs and more than 70 wounded, most of them are children, women, elderly people, and defenseless civilians. The aggression entered a dangerous curve during the past hours by bombing safe residential homes, a new war crime added to the occupation’s record of crimes against humanity. As a result, 47 housing units are now uninhabitable, while 286 others are partially damaged.

On the other hand, the occupation continues to close the border crossings, preventing the most basic humanitarian supplies necessary for the living of the residents of the Strip, including fuel, food, and necessary medical equipment, which threatens to create a real crisis if the aggression does not stop and the crossings are not opened immediately. It is worth mentioning that the sole power plant in the Gaza Strip had to reduce its running hours due to the lack of fuel supplies received through the Karem Shalom crossing, closed by the occupation forces, and the station is now on the verge of complete stop, which means the cessation of basic services such as water, sanitation and all other aspects of life. This situation threatens to become a real disaster that burdens the Palestinian citizen who is already burdened with pain and misery as a result of the blockade and the endless cycle of “Israeli” aggression.

In disgraceful and criminal behavior, the occupation continues to prevent patients from leaving the Gaza Strip and already deprived 292 patients – most of whom are cancer patients – from receiving the necessary treatment outside the Gaza Strip. Indeed, the occupation government went even further when it prevented the entry and exit of diplomats, UN staff, and journalists to and from Gaza in order to ensure obscurity and media misinformation regarding the crimes it is committing against humanity in Gaza.

In light of these continuous crimes, we reaffirm the need to hold the leaders of the Israeli occupation accountable and bring them to justice, on top of them the war criminal “Netanyahu” and the members of his extremist government. We also condemn the passive attitude of the international community, which is not only equating the victim and the aggressor but also siding with the aggressor at the expense of the victim, ignoring the most basic rules of human rights, international law and the best practices of international covenants.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Gaza – Palestine