The population of the Gaza Strip remains cut off from basic supplies like water, food, and electricity since Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, ordered a “complete siege”. No aid has been able to reach Gaza and the first promised convoy has just been delayed further.
While sieges are not illegal under international humanitarian law, there are rules prohibiting the starvation of civilians and regulating humanitarian relief operations.
Transporting humanitarian relief into besieged territories is a complex challenge, but such relief is essential to minimise human death and suffering. During the siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s, 160,000 tons of aid were delivered in more than 12,000 flights. But the population of Gaza is much larger and meeting their needs will be far more challenging.
