Israeli measures being taken against Gaza will have the effect, perhaps intentional, of collective punishment of the entire civilian population of the enclave. Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz promised yesterday that there’ll be no water or electricity in Gaza before the hostages are returned. “Humanitarian aid to Gaza? No electrical switch will be turned on, no water pump will be opened and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli abductees are returned home,” he posted in a tweet on X. “Humanitarianism for humanitarianism. And no one can preach morality to us,” he wrote. Gaza’s only power plant ran out of fuel yesterday and hospitals and the Palestinian Health Ministry warned that hospitals are set to run out of fuel on Thursday, Oct. 12, leading to “catastrophic” conditions.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is warning that without electricity, hospitals will turn into graveyards. Hisham Mhanna, ICRC spokesperson in Gaza, told Al Arabiya TV network that hospitals are already without power and spoke about the grave consequences of the crisis, saying hospitals and healthcare centers are now facing a catastrophic situation.
“Electricity will impact the medical system—hospitals and healthcare. Infrastructure is also being damaged, preventing ambulances from reaching hospitals,” Mhanna told Al Arabiya English. “Without power, this may lead to a catastrophic situation.” Speaking of the hospitals, there are critically injured people admitted there, babies in incubators, and patients on oxygen lifelines. “Without power, hospitals will turn into graveyards,” he said. He further emphasized the severity of the situation, as “hospitals are without fuel and food supplies. All hospitals are almost running out of medical supplies.”
Mhanna stressed that “we are about to face a food crisis, fuel crisis, environmental crisis, and, on top of this, a crisis of hope. People are worried about the lives of their children, fearing they may not wake up the next morning. The strikes by Israel are unprecedented, and the people of Gaza are facing an uncertain future.” As the crisis intensifies, the number of internally displaced people within the Gaza Strip is expected to increase dramatically, said Mhanna.
The Israeli NGO B’Tselem has branded Israeli actions in Gaza as war crimes. Karim Jabran, spokesperson of B’Tselem, which documents human rights violations in occupied Palestinian territory, told Anadolu Agency that Gallant’s explicit declaration to cut off water, electricity, fuel, and essential supplies to Gaza amounts to “perpetrating a full-fledged war crime.” He said Gaza consistently relies on daily supplies, and blocking humanitarian aid, medical, water, and electricity assistance to those facing bombardment is another form of homicide and extermination.
