Euro-Mediterranean warns: “Israel” turns winter into weapon to kill Gaza residents
GAZA, Dec. 24 (YPA) – The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor confirmed that Israel is turning winter into a weapon to kill the residents of the Gaza Strip, demanding pressure on it to allow the immediate entry of temporary housing.
The monitor explained that an imminent catastrophe could include the collapse of hundreds of homes on their inhabitants with the onset of winter, amid the absence of any safe or livable housing.
It pointed out that the weather changes accompanying winter increase the likelihood of the collapse of homes whose structural integrity has been damaged by bombing.
It indicated that civilians are being forced into a choice between remaining in buildings threatened with collapse or taking refuge in tents that do not protect against the winter cold and rain.
The observatory considered that Israel is using the blockade as an executive tool for the ongoing crime of genocide and the creation of a deadly living reality, pointing out that Israel’s policy of “preventing shelter” aims to destroy the residential environment of the Gaza Strip’s residents and deprive them of their right to housing and a safe life.
The observatory viewed this pattern of violations as a systematic strategic tactic to create long-term forced displacement by obliterating the basic necessities of life and forcing the population to leave.
It stated: “Under no pretext should the basic humanitarian needs of the civilian population be subjected to any security conditions or political bargaining.”
The monitor also indicated that the international community is required, more than ever, to pressure Israel to lift the ban imposed on the entry of temporary housing into Gaza.
It stressed that the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing is required to issue a formal and urgent appeal to the Israeli authorities demanding an end to the ban on the entry of temporary housing and basic shelter supplies into Gaza.
It emphasized that the UN Rapporteur’s appeal must include a clear warning that the continued ban on the entry of temporary housing, under winter conditions, amounts to willful killing.