Catastrophe in the Gaza Strip: Castellucci calls for immediate help!

Catastrophe in the Gaza Strip: Castellucci calls for immediate help!

The Federal Government's Human Rights Commissioner, Lars Castellucci, has appealed to the Israeli government to immediately improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. In a statement before his current Middle East trip, Castellucci expressed the immeasurable suffering of the civilian population and called for a comprehensive and sustainable improvement in care in the Palestinian territory. Half of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip are children, who are suffering particularly badly under the current conditions, said Castellucci. The federal government has already increased its humanitarian aid to the region several times, but emphasizes that it urgently needs to reach the people affected. Deutschlandfunk reports that his visit begins today and lasts until Thursday.

One of Castellucci's central concerns is the immediate and unconditional release of the approximately 50 hostages held by Hamas. This demand becomes all the more urgent given Israel's current military operations and the difficult humanitarian situation. Castellucci plans to advocate in Israel and the Palestinian territories for unhindered aid deliveries to Gaza and to discuss human rights issues on site.

Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis

The conflict in the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing for almost 23 months, was triggered by a major Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. More than 63,400 people, most of them civilians, have died since then, according to Hamas authorities. The current reports of the deaths are considered plausible by UN officials, but cannot be independently verified. At the same time, the Israeli army is planning an offensive to destroy Hamas in the city of Gaza. Yahoo News has stressed that the international community needs access to the vulnerable people in Gaza to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.

Castellucci will also visit the Auguste Viktoria Hospital on the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem and meet relatives of the hostages to assess the human rights situation in the West Bank. Federal Development Minister Reem Alabali-Radovan and Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul have already made similar trips to the region and addressed the humanitarian crisis.

Finally, Castellucci emphasizes the need for a ceasefire and a long-term negotiated solution. The two-state solution is seen as a sustainable solution for peace and security. He calls for humanitarian aid to flow freely to the people of Gaza, as current conditions are inadequate for a safe and dignified evacuation. The President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric, speaks of an insecure and undignified situation for the people of Gaza.