Amnesty International has denounced Israel’s ongoing siege on Gaza as a genocidal act, accusing it of using starvation as a war crime and imposing collective punishment.

Marking two months since Israel banned all aid and commercial goods on March 2, 2025, the organization called for an immediate end to the blockade, which it says aims to destroy Gaza’s Palestinian population.

“Israel has turned Gaza into an inferno of death and destruction,” said Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy, and Campaigns. “This is genocide in action, deliberately making Gaza unlivable.” She urged Israel’s allies to pressure for an immediate lifting of the siege and ensure unhindered aid delivery, emphasizing the need for a sustained ceasefire.

Amnesty’s April interviews with 41 Gaza residents reveal dire conditions, with starvation and lack of essentials weaponized against civilians. Israel’s March 9 cutoff of power to Gaza’s main desalination plant has crippled clean water access, exacerbating a crisis rooted in a 17-year blockade. Since the collapse of a truce on March 18, Israeli attacks have killed at least 2,325 people, including 820 children, further shattering hopes for recovery.

Residents face expansive “evacuation” orders covering 70% of Gaza, forcing abandonment of scarce resources. Fishermen risk death from Israeli fire at sea, while skyrocketing food prices and hoarding push families into hunger. Community kitchens, overwhelmed, provide minimal sustenance, with one parent saying, “I don’t want my child to die hungry.” Water scarcity forces some to drink seawater, and fuel shortages lead to burning hazardous materials, causing respiratory illnesses.

Gaza’s healthcare system is collapsing, with Al-Rantissi pediatric hospital reporting shortages of dialysis supplies and medications like insulin. Doctors note severe malnutrition in children, worsened by the siege. Protests in Beit Lahia reflect growing frustration with local authorities’ failure to curb profiteering.

Amnesty opposes weaponizing aid or using it for forced displacement, calling for states to impose an arms embargo on Israel and support the International Criminal Court. This week, the International Court of Justice is examining Israel’s obligations to allow UN agencies like UNRWA to operate in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, amid Israel’s defiance of ICJ orders to ensure aid access.

“States’ failure to end Israel’s impunity has exacted an unprecedented toll on Palestinians,” Guevara Rosas said. “The siege must end now, and Israel’s violations must become politically and economically unsustainable.” (ILKHA)