AN aid group has described scenes of “almost unparalleled suffering” in Gaza with families pushed “beyond breaking point”.
Jan Egeland of the Norwegian Refugee Council visited Gaza this week and found “scene after scene of absolute despair,” The Guardian reports.
He said that Israel, with arms supplied by western countries, had “rendered the densely populated area uninhabitable”.
Egeland said: “This is in no way a lawful response, a targeted operation of ‘self-defence’ to dismantle armed groups, or warfare consistent with humanitarian law.
“The families, widows and children I have spoken to are enduring suffering almost unparalleled to anywhere in recent history.
“There is no possible justification for continued war and destruction.”
On Thursday, Ireland’s Dali parliament passed a non-binding motion agreeing that “genocide is being perpetrated before our eyes by Israel in Gaza”.
According to Al Jazeera, at least 17 people have been killed in Gaza in the latest round of Israeli attacks.
The devastating siege and bombing of the north of the Gaza strip has now entered its 35th day.
Nearly two million people have been internally displaced in Gaza, according to the latest estimates from the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees.
Egeland, a former humanitarian leader, former foreign minister and diplomat in Norway, said he had witnessed “the catastrophic impact of strangled aid flows”.
Last week, Israeli’s parliament passed legislation which banned UN agency UNRWA from operating in Israel and the Palestinian territories, designating it a terror organisation.
Egeland added: “Those in power on all sides act with impunity, while millions across Gaza and the region pay a terrible price.
“Humanitarians can speak out on what we are seeing, but only those in power can end this nightmare.”
Irish parliament motion
On Thursday, Ireland’s Dali parliament passed a non-binding motion agreeing “genocide is being perpetrated before our eyes by Israel in Gaza”.
The motion says the Dali agrees Ireland has a “legal and moral duty to do whatever we can to prevent” genocide in Gaza.
It also called on the government to “immediately impose trade, travel and diplomatic sanctions on Israel”.
Ireland also intends to intervene in South Africa’s case against Israel for genocide before the end of the year, its deputy premier Micheal Martin said.
South Africa filed a case in December 2023 to the International Court of Justice saying Israel has a “special intent to commit genocide” against Palestinians.
