IBAHRI urges immediate international action as Palestinians face starvation under Israeli blockade of Gaza
As the Israeli government continues to impose a total siege on the Gaza Strip — worsening an already desperate humanitarian crisis — the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) condemns the ongoing starvation of Gaza’s population as an inhuman war strategy and grave breach of international law. The IBAHRI calls on the international community to respond robustly and urgently to stop this carnage.
The IBAHRI calls on the international community to exert pressure on Israel to lift the aid blockade and ensure the entry of humanitarian and commercial goods into Gaza. Beyond ensuring the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid, those responsible for the policy of starvation must be held accountable for the crimes they committed.
Hina Jilani, Chair of the IBAHRI, remarked: ‘The prolonged blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza by Israeli authorities is in violation of international law and cannot be allowed to continue. The 4th Geneva Convention prohibits the denial of humanitarian access to civilians, including children, in times of conflict. People in Gaza are facing catastrophic hunger and those with chronic illnesses are being deprived of life-saving medication by this ongoing obstruction of aid. The international community must intervene.’
Baroness Helena Kennedy KC, Director of the IBAHRI, stated: ‘The deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid, resulting in hunger and widespread civilian suffering, is a grave violation of human rights and humanitarian law. Preventing access to food, water and medical care not only breaches international law but also defies the core principles of humanity and dignity.’
Dr Mark Ellis added: ‘The latest military operations – including intensified aerial bombardments and ground incursions in southern Gaza – have deepened an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Widespread civilian casualties, the destruction of essential infrastructure, and persistent obstruction of humanitarian access constitute grave breaches of international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes.’
Since 2 March 2025, no humanitarian or commercial supplies have entered Gaza, home to more than two million people, the majority of whom depend on aid to survive. Israeli authorities have fully sealed Gaza’s borders by land, sea, and air, starving the population in what is now the longest ban on aid since October 2023. This means depriving Gaza’s population of the most basic means to sustain life. Flour, food parcels, medical supplies, fuel, and vaccines for children are critically low, while trauma kits and surgical materials for mass casualty response are nearly depleted.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is being compounded by Israel’s destruction of Gaza’s food production capacity, including the reported targeting of bakeries, fishing boats, storage warehouses and emergency kitchens.
Through the UN Security Council Resolutions 2417 and 2573, the international community has repeatedly affirmed that the intentional starvation of civilians is a war crime and must be prevented.
