London, Dec 29, IRNA ,Amnesty International Monday expressed its horror at Israel’s ongoing slaughter of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, calling for an end to the massacre and for Gaza’s emergency needs to be met.
“The horrific death toll risks growing due to the unavailability of adequate medical care for the hundreds of injured,” the London-based human rights group said three days after Israeli air attacks killed over 300 Palestinians.
“The health sector in Gaza lacks equipment, medicine and expertise at the best of times and has been further depleted due to the prolonged Israeli blockade. It is now completely overwhelmed and unable to cope with the large number of casualties,” it warned.
Israel must grant the wounded access to hospitals in Israel and to Palestinian hospitals in East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank, Amnesty also said.
It further called on Egyptian authorities to open their hospitals to those in need of medical care, which is not available in Gaza and to ensure that its border guards do not resort to excessive use of force against those fleeing the bombing.
Despite assurances from Israel that humanitarian aid is being allowed into Gaza, the “reality is that the quantity of humanitarian aid and supplies which has been allowed into Gaza in recent months is only a fraction of what is required,” Amnesty said.
“It is utterly unacceptable for Israel to continue to purposefully deprive 1.5 million people of food and other basic necessities,” it said.
“Such a policy cannot be justified on any security or other grounds and must end immediately,” the international human rights organization warned in a press release.
Israel, it said, “must allow international humanitarian and human rights workers immediate and safe access to Gaza.”
Amnesty also reiterated its call for an end to what it called “reckless and unlawful Israeli attacks against densely populated residential areas.”
The more than 300 Palestinians killed since Saturday, included “scores of unarmed civilians and police personnel not taking part in the hostilities, and injured several hundred others,” it said.
The statement also called on Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Gaza to stop firing rockets against towns and villages in southern Israel in retaliation.
Amnesty further urged that the international community, especially the members of the Quartet (the United Nations, the European Union, Russia and the United States of America), “must go beyond the rhetoric and exert concrete pressure.”
“The High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions should also consider holding an emergency meeting to address the situation,” it said following accusations of continual Israeli breaches as an occupying power.