News - Middle East: The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has reported that the Israeli occupation has been blocking the entry of blankets, clothing, and shoes, including essential items for children, into the Gaza Strip for over a year. This comes amid harsh winter conditions and catastrophic humanitarian circumstances.

The monitor highlighted in its statement that this marks the second winter since the occupation began its genocidal war on Gaza. Severe shortages of clothing and shoes have persisted since the first day of the war, with only limited quantities entering as part of humanitarian aid. These supplies have reached only a small fraction of the nearly two million displaced individuals.

The Euro-Med Monitor emphasized that there is no legal or military justification under international law for preventing the entry of these basic necessities. It accused Israel of imposing harsh living conditions designed to cause the systematic destruction of the Palestinian population, describing these actions as part of a broader genocidal campaign.

It noted that the total volume of goods entering Gaza in recent months has not exceeded 6% of the population's daily needs, with most shipments consisting of food. Clothing and shoes have accounted for a mere 0.001%, leading to a severe crisis. This has been compounded by the destruction of at least 70% of homes in Gaza and the majority of stores and markets, including clothing shops, due to the ongoing bombing, as well as restrictions on the entry of goods for merchants.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, including children, women, and the elderly, remain without adequate clothing to protect them from the harsh winter. Most displaced individuals are living in tents that fail to shield them from the cold and rain. The monitor warned that these dire conditions expose Palestinians to serious illnesses, such as respiratory infections, in the absence of adequate medical care.

The situation is further exacerbated by a critical shortage of essential medications needed to treat cold-related illnesses, a direct result of the arbitrary siege imposed by Israel. Additionally, limited and monotonous food supplies have weakened residents' immune systems, making them more susceptible to diseases.

According to the monitor, nearly two million of Gaza's 2.3 million residents are forcibly displaced, living in tents, schools, or the remnants of their destroyed homes. Many were forced to flee multiple times, leaving behind their belongings and fleeing with only the clothes they were wearing. Most families have lost their possessions due to bombings and displacement, worsening their plight as they seek clothing and shoes in markets destroyed by Israeli strikes.

The monitor's field team documented children walking barefoot through streets filled with rubble and sewage due to a lack of shoes, wearing tattered and insufficient clothing in the rain. This lack of proper footwear increases the risk of injuries and infections, especially in an environment lacking medical supplies.

Many families have resorted to inadequate and unsafe solutions, such as crafting shoes from wood and plastic or repairing worn-out clothing using blankets. Those with financial means can afford alternatives, but these are rare.

Israel has also blocked the entry of other winter necessities, including blankets, firewood, fuel, and heating sources. Insufficient tents and coverings have left displaced individuals unable to protect themselves from rain, leading to the flooding of hundreds of tents and soaking the limited belongings of those displaced.

The monitor stressed that the severe deprivation of life essentials constitutes an act of genocide, stripping residents of basic protection and creating conditions aimed at their destruction. This targeted deprivation disproportionately affects children and vulnerable groups, exacerbating their suffering and contributing to rising mortality rates in harsh weather conditions.

The statement called the denial of basic needs an attack on human dignity, undermining morale and dehumanizing the population, treating them as undeserving of basic rights. It further entrenches the despair engulfing Gaza's residents.

The Euro-Med Monitor urged international and UN organizations to pressure Israel to allow the entry of essential supplies into Gaza and to publicly expose these crimes and the resulting humanitarian suffering. It called on the international community to take responsibility for stopping the genocide in Gaza and associated crimes, emphasizing that this is the only way to protect civilians and salvage what remains amid the worsening humanitarian crisis.

The monitor specifically called for the immediate and unrestricted entry of winter clothing, shoes, and other necessities for Palestinians. It also demanded sanctions against Israel and the enforcement of arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against the Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister at the earliest opportunity to bring them to international justice.