Gen. Ghassan Alian oversaw total blockade of Gaza, says Hind Rajab Foundation
Italy has been urged to arrest an Israeli general, who is reportedly in Rome presently, over his involvement in crimes against humanity in Gaza.
In a statement, Belgium-based Hind Rajab Foundation said that it has filed cases with the International Criminal Court (ICC) and informed Italian authorities, demanding the immediate arrest of major general Ghassan Alian of the Israeli Armed Forces.
“Alian oversaw the total blockade of Gaza, weaponizing famine and targeting civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, in acts amounting to genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity,” the foundation said.
It said that Alian, the head of the coordinator of Israeli government activities in the Palestine territories, “supervised and enforced a total siege on Gaza, cutting off essential resources such as food, water, electricity, and medical supplies. This deliberate policy of deprivation has led to mass starvation, civilian deaths, and the destruction of critical infrastructure, including hospitals.”
Commenting on the development, Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for occupied Palestine territories, called for prompt actions from Italian authorities.
“Hopefully, the global legal community will become better organized, enabling swift information-sharing with authorities. This will ensure that individuals suspected of int'l crimes on their territories are taken very seriously,” she said on X.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since a Hamas attack in October 2023 despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.
Nearly 46,600 people, mostly women and children, have since been killed and over 105,000 injured, according to local health authorities.
The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.
