Unions and Federations Issue Urgent Call to End Starvation Policy in Gaza Strip

SadaNews - On Tuesday, Palestinian professional unions and popular federations issued an urgent call to professional unions around the world and international organizations to put an end to the systematic starvation policy practiced by the Israeli occupation authorities against our people in the Gaza Strip.

This announcement was made during a press conference hosted by the Palestinian Bar Association at its headquarters in Ramallah, with the participation of the heads and secretaries-general of: the Bar Association, the Journalists' Union, the Engineers' Union, the Doctors' Union, the Teachers' Union, the Agricultural Engineers Union, the Women's Union, the Veterinary Medicine Union, and several other labor and rights figures.

The speakers emphasized in their remarks that the occupation uses hunger as a weapon of war and genocide against civilians, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, the Geneva Conventions, and human rights principles.

During the conference, it was announced that a joint call would be distributed with the aim of mobilizing a global union and popular stance to stop this ongoing crime, and to call upon international human rights and humanitarian organizations to assume their legal and moral responsibilities.

The head of the Palestinian Bar Association, Fadi Abbas, stated that this unified call comes in the context of the importance of the union stance at the international level, adhering to the professional, legal, and ethical responsibilities of unions around the world, in order to immediately stop this deadly policy and lift the injustice from the Palestinian people, and to ensure their right to live in freedom and dignity.

The call stated: "More than two million people in the Gaza Strip are subjected to a suffocating siege and a systematic crime where starvation is used as a weapon of war, in blatant violation of the provisions of international humanitarian law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court."

It added: Starvation is classified as a war crime under Article (8) of the Rome Statute, and a crime against humanity under Article (7) of the same statute. It is also considered a "grave breach" according to Article (147) of the Fourth Geneva Convention, despite not being explicitly mentioned, based on the phrase: "deliberately causing severe suffering" in the text of the article.

It continued: Death by hunger in Gaza has become a daily reality, recorded in official death certificates, documented by reports from international humanitarian and rights organizations. Children die while embracing their hungry dreams, and famine ravages the sick and weak, amidst a deliberate blockade of food, medicine, and water, and a systematic targeting of infrastructure and essential services, including hospitals, electricity generation stations, and water facilities.

The call emphasized: "We are faced with a described crime, with complete elements, committed by the Israeli occupation authorities, using starvation as a slow weapon of genocide, which makes it subject to the jurisdiction of international courts, and obliges the international community, led by professional unions in various countries of the world, to assume its moral and legal responsibilities to stop this tragedy."

It added: "From our belief that professional unions are not just professions, but a message to defend rights, justice, and human dignity, we direct this urgent call to you, inviting you to issue clear and explicit positions condemning the policy of collective starvation in the Gaza Strip, as a war crime and a crime against humanity."

The call also urged immediate action through international frameworks to activate accountability mechanisms and support legal efforts to prosecute those responsible for these crimes in courts or before national courts applying the principle of universal jurisdiction.

It called for coordination with Palestinian unions to form a unified legal front to defend the rights of the Palestinian people, expose these violations to the global public opinion, and support humanitarian and rights efforts by organizing legal solidarity campaigns, and providing knowledge and logistical support to legal aid centers and human rights organizations operating in the Gaza Strip.

It confirmed that "the silence of professionals on this crime cannot be justified, and may be understood as implicit acceptance; which contradicts our common professional oath and the message of defending justice. We believe that if your voice rises united, it can make a tangible impact on the course of international justice, and contribute to stopping this humanitarian catastrophe that is being committed under the sight and hearing of the world. Let us stand together in defense of the oppressed... and hold those responsible for starvation accountable as war criminals... and let us be partners in building a world where human dignity is preserved and rights are respected."