Böll.Global | Gaza is starving - and the world is watching?

The war and the humanitarian emergency in the Gaza Strip continue to escalate: Israel is pursuing its attacks and the expulsion of Palestinians, has announced the permanent occupation of parts of Gaza and has now been blocking all aid deliveries to the enclave for over two months. Prime Minister Netanyahu has announced another major offensive for the coming weeks.

Israel's withholding of food, medicine, fuel and water, used as a weapon of war, has further exacerbated the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip. Major international aid organizations such as UNRWA and the World Food Programme (WFP) are sounding the alarm: their supplies are almost exhausted and supplies for the civilian population are collapsing. Famine is raging. Children have already starved to death. Without a rapid improvement in the supply situation, many more deaths from starvation are imminent.

While the International Court of Justice is examining whether Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza constitutes a violation of the Genocide Convention and has issued an immediate order that Israel and the international community must do everything possible to prevent an imminent genocide, the USA, Germany and other European states continue to support the current Israeli government militarily and politically, despite repeatedly voiced concerns about compliance with international law. 

What happens when basic principles of humanitarian aid are disregarded and the supply of the civilian population is instrumentalized by Israel and Hamas? What is the situation of the people on the ground now that no more aid is coming into Gaza? What exactly does the new US-Israeli aid plan provide for - and why does it contradict humanitarian standards? What obligations do states have under international law to counteract the political instrumentalization of humanitarian aid? What concrete means does the German government have to influence the supply situation in Gaza? 

We want to talk about this with the following guests:

• Boris Mijatović, Member of the German Bundestag Alliance 90/The Greens
• Simon Ilse, Head of Ramallah Office, Heinrich Böll Foundation
• Bushra Khalidi, Policy Lead, Oxfam Palestine
• Mairav Zonszein, International Crisis Group Senior Analyst on Israel-Palestine

Moderation: Bauke Baumann, Senior Programme Officer Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Iran, Heinrich Böll Foundation

Contact: 
Louisa Reeh
E reeh@boell.de

» Online participation in ZOOM
You can use either the Zoom Client software or the app. If you are using either the Chrome or Edge browsers you will be able to participate directly via the access link. For more information on how to use Zoom, click here.
Please make sure that you are using the latest version of Zoom so that you have the necessary settings. You will need a microphone and possibly a camera for events with audience participation.

The Heinrich Böll Foundation is not liable for issues arising from the use of Zoom software. Zoom's current privacy policy can be found here.

» Livestream
Alternatively, you can follow the event via livestream.
Livestream in English
Livestream in German