Starvation and Attacks in Gaza
In the past couple of days, 29 children and elderly individuals have died from starvation in Gaza, according to the health minister of the Palestinian authorities. Additionally, at least 52 people have been reported killed due to Israeli military strikes across the area.
This week, a warning is expected to reach Gazans as Israel has started allowing a limited number of goods into the region—something that comes almost three months after international calls to lift the blockade and cease expanded military actions.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Humanitarian Agency OCHA, mentioned that about 90 out of 200 trucks carrying essential supplies like medicine, flour, and nutritional aid have made it into Gaza. However, he highlighted significant hurdles that aid organizations face due to concerns over looting and coordination issues with Israeli authorities.
Yet, representatives from the Palestinian Red Crescent stated that no aid has actually reached the people of Gaza, claiming that sending trucks across the border, given the risk of riots, amounts to “an invitation to killing.”
Yunis Al-Kativ, president of the Palestinian Red Crescent Association, expressed frustration, saying, “You can prove that no one has received it [aid]. I haven’t received anything yet.” He added that the majority of trucks remain at the Kelem Shalom border, undergoing inspections but not actually entering Gaza.
Malnutrition is becoming increasingly prevalent, and sanitation workers have sounded alarms about the dire conditions. Bakeries run by the UN World Food Programme have had to shut down due to shortages of essential resources, while prices for available food items in shops have skyrocketed.
“We’ve lost 29 children in just the last few days,” remarked Majed Abu Ramadan, health minister for the Palestinian authorities based in the West Bank, calling it “a death related to starvation.” This total includes both children and older individuals.
Palestinian authorities have limited control over the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, while Hamas has governed Gaza since 2007. According to estimates from early this month, nearly 71,000 children under five could face “acute malnutrition,” with approximately 14,100 cases expected to worsen in the coming eleven months.
Israel imposed a blockade on supplies back in March, citing concerns that Hamas was diverting deliveries for military use. Recently, a report indicated that around half a million people in Gaza are currently facing hunger.
Abramadhan, former mayor of Gaza City, noted that only a handful of the 36 hospitals in Gaza are partially operational, with over 90% of medical stocks depleted due to the lockdown. “The amount of cargo going into Gaza is very limited,” he said, specifying that most of what has come in consists only of flour for bakeries.
The UN agency has also stated that the level of aid entering Gaza falls far short of what the region needs to ease the crisis. Displaced individuals in Gaza City, like 53-year-old Um Taral Al Masri, expressed feeling overwhelmed by the circumstances.
One resident, Hossam Abu Aida, shared his distress over the struggles of his family: “I’m suffering for the sake of my children.” Recent footage showed flour being delivered to a bakery, where workers hurriedly prepared pita bread for distribution.
UNICEF reported over 9,000 children have been treated for malnutrition in Gaza this year alone, and experts warn that tens of thousands more cases are likely in the coming year. They warn that if Israel’s military campaign and blockade continue, the territory could spiral further into starvation, while the World Health Organization has indicated that many are already experiencing hunger.
New findings from Project Hope, a US-based organization, pointed to an alarming trend of malnutrition among women and children in Gaza. “The number of malnutrition cases has skyrocketed,” reported a nurse involved in local healthcare initiatives.
Meanwhile, as Israeli forces called for evacuations in the Northern Gaza Strip, smoke filled the air on Thursday amid ongoing airstrikes, which resulted in significant casualties. Gaza’s civil defense agency commented on the situation, reporting over 50 fatalities and many injuries resulting from these strikes.
The renewed intensity of Israeli attacks has drawn criticism, leading the EU’s foreign minister to consider re-evaluating cooperation agreements with Israel.
