Stuart Casey Maslen, head of the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, said that as of October 2023, Gaza’s population had declined by more than 10%, which would suggest roughly 200,000 deaths, said an Anadolu report.Speaking to Anadolu about the academy’s report titled ‘War Watch’, which covers the situation in Gaza and 23 armed conflicts over the past 18 months, Maslen described the situation in Gaza as “dramatic”.
“We’re obviously pleased that we do not have the heavy hostilities we saw last year before the ceasefire. But that does not mean the suffering for the people of Gaza has ended. We remain deeply concerned about the predicament of all the population in Gaza,” Maslen told Anadolu.
Expressing particular concern for those who are injured and need evacuation to safe locations for proper treatment, Maslen added: “People continue to go to die in Gaza.”
Maslen emphasised that far more humanitarian aid must be provided to Gaza’s population, including food and water, and added that people also need shelter, protection from harsh winter conditions, and medical treatment.
“There’s a whole series of things that we hope will change in the very near future, because the situation remains intolerable,” he said.
Maslen noted that there is consensus that at least 70,000 civilians have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, among Palestinians and Israelis.“We do not believe that that is the final total….”