ICC prosecutor warns of criminal responsibility for blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza

By Seda Sevencan

ISTANBUL (AA) - The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor on Sunday warned about the criminal responsibility for blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza, stressing the dire humanitarian situation as the Israel-Palestine war rages.

Following his visit to the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, Karim Khan said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the suffering of children and women and men old and young is “profound and it is ongoing.”

“Most fundamentally, at this moment, underline the fact that there should not be any impediment to humanitarian relief supplies going to children, to women and men, civilians. They are innocent. They have rights under international humanitarian law,” Khan stressed.

“These rights are part of the Geneva Conventions, and they give rise to even criminal responsibility when these rights are curtailed under the Rome Statute.”

The number of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since Oct. 7 has risen to 8,005, the Health Ministry in the besieged Palestinian enclave said on Sunday. The figure includes 3,342 children and 2,062 women.

Israel has heavily bombarded Gaza since Oct. 7, when Hamas carried out a surprise cross-border attack.

More than 1,538 Israelis have been killed since the outbreak of the Gaza war, the public broadcaster KAN said on Monday.

The Israeli army spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, on Saturday announced "expanding its operations," moving to the "next phase of our war against Hamas."

Gaza's 2.3 million residents are also grappling with shortages of food, water, fuel, and medicine due to Israel’s blockade of the enclave. Only a few aid trucks have crossed into Gaza since the opening of the Rafah crossing point on Oct. 21.